Undeniable Logic
by Horsefly20
Summary: Soval encounters his children from the future. He is in full denial of the truth. Can he and his arch nemesis, the mother of his children, put their past differences behind them and work together? This is a partial spin off of episode E2. AU. Soval/OC
1. Back From the Future

Ambassador Soval analyzed the controversial paternity test. He was so flabbergasted with the presented results that he could hardly believe the truth: the man and woman whom sat before him were his children. Soval shifted his head to the right, and glanced through the see through window. The young man and woman, approximately 56.5 Terran years old, were socializing with Captain Archer.

Soval silently reminisced the previous day's happenings. He had been previously traveling on the _Enterprise._ The vessel was supposed to rendezvous with an Andorran Cargo Ship. However, an unfortunate attack from the Klingons had rendered the _Enterprise_ off course. The officers had almost considered traveling through a nebula. Thankfully, the _other Enterprise_ had intervened in time.

T'Pol had proposed the odd occurrence had been the result of a censor reflection. However, after the _other Enterprise_ had intervened, the previous presented hypothesis was disregarded. Soval recalled the vivid memory…

Ensign Sato spoke aloud. _"Captain, we are being hailed!"_ She addressed her superior firmly, yet with some weariness lurking in the back of her voice. Captain Archer nodded his head at her response. A visual image was presented on the screen. _"Captain Archer,"_ a voice exclaimed, _"pull your vessel over immediately."_ A mysterious figure glanced at him. Captain Archer observed the man. He possessed Vulcan like characteristics: specifically his ears and emotionless demeanor. However, his blond hair and blue eyes were clearly not human.

Two similar looking hominids were standing behind him. The other young man possessed predominately Vulcan characteristics: pointed ears, slanted eyebrows, and dark brown eyes. His sister, on the other hand, had stunning dark green eyes, curled eyebrows, and pointed ears. Both adults possessed curly brown hair. Captain Archer was perplexed by their physical appearance. Soval, however, interrupted before he could speak. _"And who may you be?"_ He said extremely formally. Some sarcasm leaked into his voice.

 _"_ _I will reiterate myself, Captain Archer. Pull over now."_ The young Vulcanoid hissed to the older man. The screen then went blank.

…

Captain Archer, Sub-Commander T'Pol, and Ambassador Soval waited atr the hanger. Captain Archer and Sub-Commander T'Pol possessed an element of curiosity about their saviors. Ambassador Soval looked highly disgruntled. The awkward silence that held stiff in the air did nothing to help the matter.

Captain Archer was about to break the silence when his cousin, Dr. Sara Archer, walked down the hallway. _"Jonathan, why has Enterprise stopped? I hope the Klingons didn't damage our engines."_ Captain Archer starred blankly at her for a moment. Sara had joined the _Enterprise_ crew after they had returned from the Delta Expanse.

 _"_ _If the Klingons had ruptured our engines doctor, do you not believe this vessel would be obliterated, or at the least be under tactical alert?"_ Soval exclaimed haughtily. Sara smiled at him. _"Aren't you just ray of sunshine, Ambassador."?_ Captain Archer looked between the two people. _"Ambassador, this is…"_ Soval interrupted him. _"I am well acquainted with Doctor Archer, captain."_ Sara looked over to Soval, _"How have been feeling, Ambassador?"_ She said so ever politely. _"I am satisfactory."_ He exclaimed with a monotone voice. Soval knew Sara had quite a dark sense of humor, and did not like where this conversation was going. _"Are you sure?"_ She said with some false concern. _"Because you had quite the 'fever' last time I saw you?"_ Soval turned bright green. He was mortified. They had mutually agreed never to speak of what had occurred between them that one night in San Francisco.

Captain Archer looked over to his Sub-Commander. She had a green flush on her cheeks, and yet she looked highly amused. _"I hope everything is all right …"_ The Captain addressed the group. Soval flashed his head back. _"We are all satisfactory."_ Sara laughed out loud. _"That sounds almost like an emotion."_ She whispered under her breath.

The hanger doors opened. Five people exited a shuttle pod. _"Hello."_ The blond Vulcanoid exclaimed allowed. _"My name is Lorain, captain of Enterprise."_ Soval and T'Pol both raised an eyebrow at the strange Vulcanoid. _"In all do respect, … we would like some answers."_ Captain Archer stated rather firmly. Lorain nodded his head in respect. _"Of course."_ He then motioned to his crew. _"This is Keira Archer and Hona. I am not even going to bother pronouncing Hona's last name. It is considered to be … unpronounceable by human standards."_ He looked over to Soval like he was sharing some kind of inside joke. _" These are my top science officers."_ He then looked to his fellow officer. _"This is Sovalson. He is my chief physician."_ Lorain further explained. Sovalson bowed his head in respect. The last visitor appeared to be a guard. However, Lorain refrained from introducing him.

Lorain then walked past the captain. He proceeded to lead himself to Captain Archer's ready room. _"Ok, that was weird."_ Sara blurted out. _"I am going to leave now."_ She turned to leave, but then looked back at the ambassador. _" You are illogical."_ He blurted out. Sara smiled and then whispered into his ear: _"Take care Ambassador, and hopefully we won't see each again in seven years."_

She then attempted to speed off before he could respond. However, the young man from behind stopped her. _"Doctor Archer, we require your presence."_ Sovalson spoke aloud. Sara turned around and involuntarily grimaced. _"Of course."_ She gave him a polite fake smile. The group moved to Captain Archer's ready room.

…

 _"_ _You can't take Enterprise into the nebula."_ Lorain stated firmly to the group. _"How do you know that?"_ Captain Archer replied hastily. _"Because you have already tried."_ Lorain replied back. Ambassador Soval raised an eyebrow.

For the next hour, the group attempted to process the controversial information. The previous _Enterprise_ had been thrown into the past nearly fifty-seven point three years. Their descendants had been forced to maintain the ship. Ambassador Soval had remained quiet during the discussion. While humans had claimed to prove time travel, he had always remained spectacle of the results.

Soval occasionally interrupted with a question. _"If the Enterprise was able to pass through the nebula, why didn't the ship simply reverse its course?"_ He stated his assumption as if it was a simple, yet suitable deduction. Hona spoke aloud to the group: _"T'Pol eventually determined Enterprise could only travel one way through the Nebula."_

Soval shifted his head to give the young woman his full attention. _"And yet you managed to reside among Enterprise for 57. 3 years? I am not an aeronautical specialist. However, even I can deduce this vessel was clearly not designed to function for that long."_

Hona smiled to the ambassador. _"You have not changed at all father."_ There was an awkward silence among the officers. Sara narrowed her eyebrows at the woman's statement. Soval frowned at her remark: _"Excuse me."_ Hona and Sovalson both looked highly amused.

Sovalson then spoke aloud. _"Enterprise made alliances with other species. You traded for new technologies, and were able to obtain ample supplies."_ T'Pol shook her head. _"The hall was never designed to last that long."_ Lorain chuckled at his mother. Keira made a statement: _"We should go to sick bay. Phlox can confirm our identities."_

…

Phlox was running the schematics. _"They would appear to be who they claim to be."_ Phlox motioned to the captain. _"This here …"_ he motioned to the genetics on the screen. _"She would appear to be your granddaughter."_ Phlox spoke onward. _"She possesses genes from a species I have never seen before in my life."_

Phlox then moved on to the next order of business. _"I have compared Hona's and Sovalson's genetic profiles to that of your own Ambassador. "_ Phlox changed the genetic profile chart. Two new profiles appeared on the screen. _"These genetics could have only come from you."_ Soval looked at the board suspiciously. He raised his hand to point to the wall. _"The genes… there human."_ Phlox shook his head. _"Well, … there is a very fine reason for that. They got them from their mother."_

Soval narrowed his eyes at his statement. _"That is impossible."_ Denial sprang into his voice. _"Vulcans and Humans have never been able to reproduce."_ A queasy feeling entered Sara's stomach. She did not like his tone of voice; especially after what they had shared that one night. _"Who is their mother?"_ She inquired before she could stop herself.

Phlox looked at her rather oddly. He then smiled in her direction: _"It would appear you are doctor."_ There was a rather awkward silence. _"What?"_ Sara whispered. _" I said you are their mother."_ Phlox reiterated himself. Sara turned pale. She then reluctantly glanced over to Soval. He had completely suppressed his emotions. That could not be good.

 _"_ _Now, … onto Lorain's genetic profile…"_ Captain Archer interrupted Phlox. _"Wait,"_ he paused, _"are you saying those kids in there are Sara's and …"_ He then pointed for dramatic effect. _"His?"_ Sara nodded her head: _"Congratulations John, you are an uncle."_

Captain Archer walked over to the detox chamber. He then opened the window and turned on the communicator section. Ambassador Soval analyzed the controversial paternity test. He was so flabbergasted with the presented results that he could hardly believe the truth: the man and woman whom sat before him were his children. Soval shifted his head to the right, and glanced through the see through window. The young man and woman, approximately 56.7 Terran years old, were now socializing with Captain Archer.

Sara stood in the distance. She placed her hand on her abdomen as fear spread through her body. It had been nearly two months since that night … She knew she should be happy to be 'reunited' with her children. However, only anxiety surrounded her. Sara turned to Phlox. She waited for Soval and the others to be far enough away. _"Doctor,"_ … she stuttered out, _" how old are Sovalson and Hona?"_ Phlox looked over to her. He then spoke: _" I cannot come up with an exact birth date. However, based off their genetic profile, they are both roughly fifty-six years and seven months old."_

Sara nodded her head and then looked up. _"Both?"_ Phlox smiled to her. _"They are fraternal twins."_ She shook her head. _"Is something wrong?"_ Phlox asked her. Sara looked up: _"No, I am fine. Thank you, Doctor."_ Sara then walked across the floor. Hona and Sovalson had exited the detox chamber. They immediately stopped talking to the captain the moment they saw their mother.

 _"_ _Mother."_ Sovalson nodded his head. Sara gave him a light smile as a tear dropped from her eye. She pulled him into a hug. Sara then pulled away and scanned her son. _"Gosh, you look exactly like your father."_ Sovalson raised an eyebrow in amusement. She got the distinct feeling she had told him this before. _"Mom,"_ Hona said from a side. She pulled her into another hug.

Sovalson brushed the tear of her cheek. _"Mother, we need your help."_ Sara narrowed her eyes and shook her head. _"Of course."_ Sovalson addressed her firmly: _"The Klingons have captured some of our crew members. They are currently being held prisoner on Kronos. We need you and Mrs. Sato to translate a potential negotiation from English to Klingon."_

Sara nodded her head. Sara had to admit something personal to herself: she was worried. Everything was happening so fast. However, when she looked into her son's dark brown eyes she knew everything was going to be ok. 


	2. One Night in San Francisco: Part 1

**Hello Everyone, I am writing a two or possibly three chapter prequel to E2 encounter. I will interweave this throughout the plot. Please enjoy.**

Chapter 2: One Night in San Francisco: Part 1

Sara Archer starred emotionlessly at the professor that stood before her. Her supplementary xenophysiology class had added nothing but turmoil to her life. She had recently graduated from UCLA medical school. Sara had started her two-year residency at Star Fleet in hopes to become a general practitioner. Unfortunately for her, Star Fleet was quite keen at the moment on expanding upon xenoethnic diversity within their ranks. Now Sara was not only required to have an intricate understanding of the workings of the human system, but also a basic comprehension of other various hominid life forms.

Sara crossed her arms over her chest. She watched as the Vulcan before her flipped through Power Point slides. Sara took a deep breath, and reminded herself how agreeable she would feel when this was over. She prayed daily the elderly Vulcan man teacher before her would fall over and die. Unfortunately, as Sara later discovered, Vulcans could live up to two hundred and fifty years of age, so she had a feeling that would not be happening any time soon. Against her better judgment, Sara began to flip through her personal communications on her pad. She raised an eyebrow; her cousin Jonathan wanted to see her.

Sara entered her deep thoughts. She had not seen her cousin Jonathan as frequently ever since he accepted a commission with _Enterprise_. Now that he was back from the Delphic Expanse, he wanted some time to catch up. Sara had to admit something to herself: she was surprised. Her cousin Jonathan had pretty much retreated the moment he hit Terran soil. Erika Hernandez had pretty much confirmed her suspicions when she called a few days ago. Jonathan had spoke out of term against the Star Fleet high council (mainly Soval), been dismissed by Admiral Forrest, and then bolted for the mountains.

Sara would have gone herself so that she could comfort Jonathan. However, her professor Doctor Oratt had decided to be revolting last week and conducted a thorough exam on Vulcan anatomy. She was still planning the doctor's demise. Sara had subtly asked Erika to accompany him. Jonathan was clearly not in his right state of mind, and needed emotional support.

Sara let out a quiet sign. John was returning to San Francisco for the weekend. Apparently Admiral Forrest was throwing a _Good to be Home_ party. Jonathan wanted her to attend with him. Sara briefly looked around. Her fellow colleagues were exhausted. They were pulling twelve to sixteen hour shifts, and then they were attending Vulcan anatomy night lectures. Sara looked back to her pad. She absolutely hated parties. If everything was up to her, Sara would spend her time curled up in bed reading. Unfortunately for her, most elements of her life were pretty much beyond her.

Sara would attend this social event, only for Jonathan of course. She quickly responded to her cousin for she did not want to be caught by her instructor. She found his attitude to be board line revolting. Her best friend and roommate, Emily Harrison, was his teaching assistant. She _claimed_ he could be agreeable at times, even gentle. Sara was pretty sure Emily had witnessed a side of that man no human ever had.

When Doctor Oratt had finally finished his epic lecture, Sara walked directly to the front of the class. Emily was grading papers. _"Hey."_ She spoke to the girl. Emily briefly looked up: _"Hey."_ Sara smiled: _"Do you want to go to a party this weekend?"_ Emily starred at her like she had grown a second head: _"Uh, sure."_

Sara shifted her body: _"It is for Jonathan."_ Emily nodded her head in comprehension. _"That makes sense."_ Emily got up. She then moved over to Doctor Oratt's desk and began to organize his things.

 _"_ _You ready to go?"_ Sara asked her. _"We need to leave in five minutes if we want to catch the transport in time."_ Emily nodded her head. She straightened the Doctor's spare pads; apparently he had placed them in a discombobulated manner during his presentation. Sara smiled to herself. Being the best friend of a teaching assistant had immense benefits. For years, rumors had circulated around Star Fleet Command that Vulcans were completely meticulous and well organized. The rumors could not have been more wrong. Both Doctor Strom and Oratt had assistants to arrange their personal belongings in the lab and in class.

 _"_ _You know, if I didn't know any better, I would assume you liked being his mother."_ Sara attempted to tease Emily. Emily rolled her eyes: _"I am just doing my job."_ Sara laughed out loud. _"I am just teasing, but seriously, if you plan on doing anything, I would aim for Doctor Strom. He is way better looking."_ Emily glared at her: _"You said something about a party for Jonathan?"_ Sara nodded her head: _"Maxwell Forrest is throwing a 'welcome back' party. The whole Archer family is pretty much invited."_ Emily nodded her head. _"Sounds reasonable enough. Admiral Forrest typically is pretty monotone."_ Emily murmured to herself. _"Sure, I mean, what could go wrong?"_ She said aloud.

Sara nodded her head. _"As long as the Vulcan High Council doesn't show up, we should be fine."_ Emily gave her an odd look. Sara shook her head: _"I will tell you later."_

…

Sara and her friend stepped out of the flitter cab. Admiral Forrest owned an estate in the suburbs of San Fransico. Unlike the urban terrain they had recently traveled from, Admiral Forrest's spare home was located in a woodland like area. As she walked toward the home, Sara noticed a group of Vulcans standing outside of the house. She immediately recognized the one Vulcan man.

Sara eyed him more closely. She had not been in the presence of Ambassador Soval for some years. He had clearly not aged a day since she last saw him. As a child, Sara had grown up coming in and out of Star Fleet High Command. Her Uncle had brought Jonathan to the head quarters as a child. Even after he died, her cousin Jonathan had taken care of her and brought her there with him.

Sara briefly replayed her adolescent memories and concealed a slight smile. She had attempted to spy on the ambassador as a young girl. Yes, he was a disgruntled old sap. However, she had always found him highly appealing. Well, more like highly attractive. This was something she would never admit of course. He was her deceased uncle's arch nemesis. She carried her last name Archer with immense pride. Admitting to any form of attraction to anyone toward him would be on par with shaming her family heritage.

Sara neared closer to him while Emily was following behind. She wondered briefly if she should greet him or ignore him. She took a deep breath and sighed. Sara couldn't forget their past. When she was a little girl, she had attempted to annoy him with her illogical human customs - something he despised. They often tried to ignore each other for she was not particularly fond of him in her youth, and him likewise. However, as Sara progressed into adolescence, she began to notice him more, and acted in a more acceptable manner toward him. Soval became her childhood crush; something she was not particularly proud of.

Emily and Sara neared the group. The three Vulcan men were conversing in their native vernacular outside the home. Sara knew Jonathan was not going to pleased when he arrived. He would most likely be furious.

The moment her eyes met Soval's he stopped speaking. She felt particularly embarrassed. The last time they had spoke had been particularly unsettling. Soval did not greet her; however, his eyes followed her body. Sara cursed lightly. She had been hoping after all these years he would forget what had happened. Unfortunately for her, Vulcans had exceptional memories, so he would clearly not be forgetting any time soon.

When Sara was seventeen years of age, she began to become more forward with him. She was always very discreet with her advances. Sara often utilized complex puns and suggestive comments from Shakespeare to express her desires. Most of Sara's human brethren were not as educated as she was. She could state something witty, and frankly insulting, without a majority of her peers grasping the concept until minutes later or just simply not at all. Soval was apparently different. She did not discover this until after her adolescent mistake. Jonathan's colleagues had never caught on. Soval, however, had apparently always comprehended her discreet sexual advances.

It was something they had mutually agreed never to discuss again. It had been mistake. Till this day, Sara was still not completely clear what had occurred. She was afraid to mention what had happened to anyone in fear of what would happen to Soval. Sara had technically been underage at the time, and she was pretty sure he was not in his right state of mind. She also knew Jonathan would not have hesitated to have killed Soval had he found out.

It had been an accident really. Jonathan had taken her with him to a formal function at Star Fleet Command. It was an event celebrating first contact. Every Vulcan or Human of importance was there. Sara had attempted to excuse herself temporarily from the party. Such events always filled her with boredom. She accidently tripped down the stairway on the way out. For some odd reason unbeknown to her, Soval had attempted to excuse himself as well.

When Soval saw her at the bottom of the stairs, he had raced toward her. After she sat up, he had grabbed her head with both his hands and attempted to evaluate her mental state. They had been so close at the time that Sara accidently leaned in and kissed him. It had been purely reflexive, and somewhat instinctual. After years of attempting attract his attention, she had finally managed to get it. Sara had expected him to pull away seconds later. But too her surprise, he reciprocated her affection.

He had kissed her passionately. For several minutes they were lost purely in each other. He kissed her lips, her face, and her neck. By the time Sara pulled back, she was completely flushed. She immediately noticed Soval's erratic behavior afterwards. He was flushed completely green. His eyes were dark black rather than his typical hazel brown. Soval gripped her arms firmly. She glanced down and could easily see that he was shaking.

He immediately released her arms. _"This was a mistake."_ He murmured into her ear. He attempted to stand. Sara grasped his arms: _"Where are you going?"_ He pulled back. _"Do not touch me!"_ He ordered rather harshly. Sara shrieked back in fear. She had never seen him so open. He attempted to conceal his emotions. _"I apologize profusely."_ He then looked up the stairwell to make sure no one listening. _"Please tell no one of this."_ He begged her. Sara nodded her head.

Sara was brought back to reality. That accident had been nearly seven years ago. She knocked on the door to the home. Admiral Forrest opened the door. _"Sara,"_ he smiled as he leaned in for a hug. _"How are you doing?"_ Sara smiled back at him. The admiral had always been like an adopted uncle to her. _"I am doing well."_ She then motioned to her friend: _"This is my friend, Emily."_ Admiral Forrest greeted the other girl and welcomed them into his home.

Sara looked around: _"Wow, this place looks nice."_ The admiral had definitely redone the inside. _"Thanks. I put a lot of time and effort into it."_ Admiral Forrest opened a bottle of wine and pulled out three glasses of wine. _"Have you seen the ambassador? He was in here a few moments ago."_ He handed her the glass a wine. _"Yes, I saw him outside with some of his colleagues. I think Doctor Strom was out there too. Why? Did someone offend him again? I swear I was on my best behavior when I came in."_ She exclaimed jokingly.

Admiral Forrest rolled his eyes. _"Your starting to sound like your cousin."_ Sara laughed out loud, and she hit him on the shoulder: _"Don't say that._ _I like to think I am more forward thinking."_ A voice spoke from behind her: _"That is a matter for debate."_ Sara glanced behind her. Soval was standing with his arms crossed. _"Ambassador …"_ Sara had absolutely no clue what to say. She had left for university shortly after the accident, and had not spoken to him directly in seven years.

 _"_ _You look..."_ She said absentmindedly. The closer Sara inspected him, the more she realized how awful looked. Soval looked immensely tired, almost a tad sickly. She couldn't bring herself to finish her statement. _"Ambassador,"_ Maxwell motioned to her, _"Do you remember Sara? This is Henry Archer's niece. You known, Jonathan's cousin."_ Soval starred blankly at her. _"Yes."_ He stated rather bluntly. Sara just gave him a smile. This man had no bedside manner.

 _"_ _And this is … Emily."_ Maxwell attempted to greet his new visitor. Emily nodded her: _"My name is Emily Harrison. Nice to meet you Ambassador."_ She replied cordially. Soval bowed his head in respect. Maxwell looked back over to Sara: _"So I heard you just finished medical school? Congratulations."_ Sara smiled at the admiral: _"Thank you, Sir. I am very glad to be finished. However, I think I have just traded one immense workload for another."_ She laughed to herself.

Soval raised an eyebrow. _"What field of medicine are you planning to specialize in?"_ Sara looked over to him; that was the most civilized thing he had asked her in years. _"I am currently in my residency. I am planning to be a general practitioner."_ Soval shifted his head: _" I would hardly define the position of 'general practitioner' a specialty. Nevertheless, your have chosen a very honorable profession; especially one that few have the intellectual aptitude to obtain, and stamina to keep up with the constant demands and rigors of the service. I am sure had your uncle been here, he would have been quite proud."_

Sara observed him for a moment. She could see he was trying to be civil, well … as civil as Soval could be. However, something was not right about him. Sara looked into his deep dark hazel brown eyes. She had not looked so long into them since their last kiss. Sara immediately remembered why she was attracted to him. He had the most beautiful eyes.

Emily touched her shoulder: _"Hey Sara, I think you cousin Jonathan is here."_ Sara looked behind her through the window. A flitter had pulled in the gravel drive way. Jonathan stepped outside the vehicle. Sara smiled to herself. _"Excuse me gentlemen, but my services are required else where."_ She exclaimed incredibly fancily. Soval continued to raise an eyebrow, and Admiral Forrest just laughed. Sara walked out of the kitchen, through the living room, and to the door.

She opened the door when Jonathan approached. _"Jonathan."_ She smiled at him. _"Sara,"_ He gave her a hug. _"How are you doing? What have you been up to?"_ She asked kindly. _"I'm good. I just got back from a climbing trip a few hours ago. I will have to show you the pictures when I have some time."_ Captain Archer closed the door. Sara then leaned into his ear: _"Just for an F.Y.I, Ambassador Pointy is in the kitchen."_

Jonathan let out a chuckle. _"Thanks for letting me know."_ Sara hit him on the shoulder: _"Anything for you couz."_ The two adults walked into the kitchen. Some of Soval's Vulcan staff and the Star Fleet Admirals sat in the living room now. Admiral Gardner stood up: _"I had feeling I saw you two come in. How you both doing Archers?"_ He said with some humor. _"Well Admiral."_ Jonathan shook his hand. _"Hello Mrs. Archer."_ A voice came from the side. Sara turned around and saw it was Doctor Strom. _"Hello Doctor."_ The man folded his hands before him: _"I trust you are progressing in your Vulcan anatomy studies well?"_ Sara nodded her head: _"Yes, Sir."_

Sara turned around momentarily and saw Emily gazing awkwardly at her from the kitchen. She was betting the ambassador and the admiral were debating something unfit for her friend's interest: _"Will you excuse me for a moment?"_ The three men nodded at her. Sara retreated to the kitchen. _"Hey Emily can I talk to you for a moment?"_ She spoke aloud. Emily nodded her head and moved to her friend. She whispered in her best friends ear: _"Your man is out there!"_ She motioned to Doctor Strom. Emily rolled her eyes with a smile. _"You better go get him."_ Sara motioned to the man.

Sara reentered the kitchen. She noticed Admiral Forrest and Ambassador Soval were in the closet. _"What's going on?"_ Admiral Forrest moved out first. _"I am apparently forgot to bring in the wood chips for the grill. I left them in the pool house outback."_ Sara crossed her arms; no doubt Soval was disgusted by the fact they were consuming meat. _"I guess I will have to got out and get them."_ He murmured to himself. _"If you want, I can help. I mean I would hate to take you away from your guests for something as trivial as barbeque."_ Sara spoke to him.

Admiral Forrest shrugged his shoulders. _"If it doesn't bother you. It is a bit of a walk though, about a quarter of a mile uphill. If you walk on that path, you will find it."_ The admiral then turned to Soval: _"Ambassador, would you mind helping her?"_ Sara immediately closed her eyes. She had offered to help as an excuse to leave. Now she was being forced to take along her past … she absolutely no idea how to define him.

The ambassador nodded his head: _"I see no problems, Admiral."_ He spoke aloud. The couple walked out the back door of the house. It was roughly six p.m. The sun was still up, however, there were small signs of night approaching. The two were quiet for the first half of the trip. Sara felt particularly nervous; she desperately hoped he had forgotten what had happened.

 _"_ _Are you currently in a suitable state?"_ Soval's comment brought Sara back to reality. _"I beg your pardon?"_ Sara exclaimed. She looked confused. _"Your breathing patterns have changed since we exited the house. Does this change in scenery bother you?"_ Soval said as he looked to the trees above him. Sara looked up there to, just to see what he was looking at. There was absolutely nothing but branches.

 _"_ _No,"_ Sara murmured, _"I am fine. The scenery is … beautiful."_ Sara knew there was a problem, and the scenery was definitely not causing it. Soval raised an eyebrow: _"You hesitated."_ Soval exclaimed to her. _"Did I?"_ She replied as she attempted bring back her annoying childhood repetitiveness. _" I just confirmed the issue prior. Why would you answer my statement with a question already addressed in the previous statement? Is your hearing poor, or are you simply avoiding my question?"_

Sara hid a smile: _"I don't know ambassador. You're a smart man. Why don't you figure it out?"_ Soval raised an eyebrow at her response: _"Clearly your hearing is not inept. You just gave a response to my previous inquiry. So I must deduce you are avoiding my question. Now I must I ask why?"_ Sara gazed back at him as they kept walking. She didn't remember him being this pushy. For some odd reason, he seemed almost annoyed.

Sara looked him the eye: _"Let me ask you this. Are you ok, Ambassador? I know I haven't seen you in years, but you seem more … emotionally responsive than I remember."_ Her statement was half filled with concern, and also half with insult. Soval flared his nose. _"I am fine."_ He gave up, not even bothering to press forward. Sara had to admit to herself, she was kind of disappointed.

Sara's voice was softer now: _"How have you been Ambassador?"_ Soval was quiet for a moment. _" Work has been … tedious as of late. There have been immense interactions between Star Fleet and the High Command. I am afraid I cannot deluge information. That would go against confidentiality."_ Sara nodded her head: _"You don't have to bother. I heard from an anonymous source you and Jonathan got into an intense battle of the wits the other day."_

Soval raised an eyebrow: _"May I inquire whom?"_ Soval narrowed his eyes. Sara shook her head: _"Don't worry. I haven't been told any super secret state secrets. I was only informed this little detail by someone who is truly concerned for John's mental state."_ Soval's gaze softened at that.

 _"_ _I would hardly regard any conversation with your cousin as … full of wit."_ Sara let out a chuckle: _" Hey, we Archers are full of wit. I mean look me. I mean, I am pretty witty."_ The moment that left her mouth she felt rather stupid. Soval smirked: _"Hardly."_

 _"_ _I will confess your cousin did become emotionally responsive during our discussion. I believe he has undergone serious mental trauma, and needs time to recuperate."_ Soval stated to her. Sara nodded her head: _"I know. That's what …"_ She stopped herself, not wanting to give away her anonymous source. _"I've missed him. I am glad he is home."_ They continued to walk down the path: _"I understand it is human custom to exert verbal expression of missing those whom you cherish."_ Sara turned to Soval: _"And Vulcans don't?"_

 _"_ _We do. However, we are less spoken about it."_ Sara just laughed. He was such a cynic. _" So what you are saying is that you have never expressed verbal concern for anyone you have missed?"_ She was teasing him. Soval didn't respond at first. _"No one. Not even you wife?"_ Soval glanced to her: _"I don't have a wife."_ Sara looked up at him: _"Really? Hum. You know, for some odd reason, I always thought you and your secretary were together when I was a little girl."_

Soval cocked an eyebrow in amusement: _"Then your thinking was incorrect."_ Soval leaned forward now. He seemed almost … nervous. Well, as that seemed like an odd deduction; especially him being Vulcan: _"Do you have a mate?"_ His voice was low. Sara looked at him. _"No."_ She shook her head. He leaned back and nodded his head.

The rest of the walk was of completely silent. They soon arrived at the pool house. The small building overlooked a small lake. Sara opened the door. The items in the pool house were meticulously organized. There was a group of tables and a small couch. _"Ok,"_ she murmured, _"Where are those wood chips?"_ Soval scanned the area, and then he looked at the ceiling. _"They would appear to be located in that overhead compartment."_ Sara looked to the ceiling as well. There was a large shelf a few feet above her. A large bag of woodchips was located on it.

Sara scanned around and found a stepping stool. She moved the device and opened it. When Sara attempted to climb the stool to grab the chips, Soval stopped her: _"Is it truly wise for you to carry those down?"_ Sara shook her head: _"It's cool."_ Soval raised an eyebrow at her expression: _"I fail to see what the temperature of those chips have anything to do with safety in regards to this stool."_ Sara rolled her eyes. She grabbed the bag and attempted to move down. Unfortunately, she tripped on the way. Thanks to Soval's reflexes, he managed to catch her in time.

Sara immediately dropped the bag, and leaned back into him. She turned around to steady herself, and clutched onto his robes. _"Thank you."_ Sara spoke to him. _"Your thanks are unnecessary."_ Sara could see a slight green forming around his ears and cheeks.

She moved in and kissed him on the cheek. She lingered there momentarily. When Sara pulled back, he was even greener. He looked even … hot. She clutched his robes further. Sara decided to try an experiment: she moved in to kiss him. His lips were hot, almost unbearably hot. He tasted like some form of exotic spice. Soval just stood there, almost rigid for a few seconds, and then heartily responded.

This was the second time something like this had happened. She hoped nothing would ruin it. Sara kissed him deeper. She then moved away from his lips, and kissed the tips of his ear. Soval involuntarily released a groan, and pulled her closer. She attempted not to laugh.

All of the sudden he pushed her to the wall, and sometime later they moved to the small couch. Things began to become more passionate. Sara clung to his robes. She immediately began to undue the top of his shirt. Soval's eyes were pitch black now, and he was completely shaking. For a moment, however, he appeared to revert back to his normal, logical self. _"I think we should return back to the house."_ He seemed rather unsure of his own statement.

Sara shook her head: _"No were not."_ She then placed another kiss on his lips. She ran her hands over his bear chest. He hissed sharply. Soval then leaned down and inhaled her intoxicating scent. This caused Sara's stomach to twist and turn. _"You just need to stop being so darn logical."_ She began to unbutton her dress, and then grasped his hand. Heat began to move through their bodies. This was considered to be a seductive motion by Vulcans. Soval raised an eyebrow at her forwardness. _"Now come here."_

…

Soval and Sara approached the house. Sara had attempted to straighten her slightly wrinkled clothes. She couldn't completely conceal the slight smile on her lips for she could not believe what had just happened. She was practically glowing.

Soval looked ambivalent. He held his certain emotionless demeanor, and yet she could sense a certain amount of inner upheaval. What they had just shared was absolutely beautiful, but Sara immediately began to worry. She grabbed his hand ever so slightly: _"Are you ok?"_ Soval pulled back his hand: _"I am fine."_ Sara narrowed her eyes. She could see he was still involuntarily shaking. Soval looked back at the house, and then back Sara: _"I don't believe …"_ He was immediately cut off: _"That I should tell anyone about this!"_ Sara hissed at him.

Soval shook his head: _"I was not going to make such a comment. However, now that we are on that discussion, your silence on such a matter is required."_ This was the second time in seven years he had done this to her. He had a somewhat asinine tone to his voice. _"Fuck off, Soval."_ She was so mad. Sara could not believe she had let him use her. She attempted to storm away. _"I believe we just did that."_ He murmured aloud. That was the wrong thing to say. Sara turned around and narrowed her eyes. She then moved to slap him clear across the face. _"You are a jerk. Go to …"_ She wanted to slap him again. However, a voice stopped her.

 _"_ _Guys,"_ Admiral Forrest approached the group. _"What is going on?"_ Sara Archer's eyes widened in fear: _"Admiral, how long have you been standing there?"_ Admiral Forrest took another step toward the couple: _"Long enough to see you get physical with the ambassador. You know assaulting any Vulcan personnel is not only a crime on Vulcan, but also on Earth. You could be doing hard time for that Doctor."_

Sara look legitimately frightened. Then she realized he was only half serious and was messing with her. _"Now back to the point, what is this all about?"_ Maxwell leaned in. _"Nothing worth noting merit. It would appear that Doctor Archer and I had a minor … misunderstanding."_ Soval exclaimed calmly. He avoided looking the admiral in the eyes. Maxwell looked to Sara, and she awkwardly nodded. Admiral Forrest looked suspicious.

He then placed his hands up in the air: _"Fine. So be it. As long as you to can work out you scuffles_ _ **peacefully,**_ _who am I to intervene. Just promise me I won't have to bail one of you out of prison for physical assault. That won't look good for Star Fleet or the High Command."_ He exclaimed with some amusement.

Soval nodded his head: _"Your concern is noted, Admiral."_ The admiral shook his head: _"Well, this is about more than …"_ He stopped speaking for a moment. Sara glanced at Admiral Forrest. He appeared to be looking over Soval's shoulder. For some odd reason, he now looked incredibly amused. _"Anyway…ya, now you know."_

The admiral moved over to his grill. Sara and Soval approached the patio steps. Then she saw it. Soval had dark red lipstick on his green collar. Embarrassment immediately flooded her system. This had been what Admiral Forrest had been gawking at. They had left evidence.

Sara closed her eyes; she had no idea how she was going to live with this; especially if Jonathan found out. They were on the patio when Admiral Forrest called again: _"Hey Guys?"_ Sara and Soval turned around: _"Yes."_ They exclaimed unitarily. _"Where are the wood chips?"_ The Admiral questioned. The couple looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Sara could have sworn Soval turned completely green. She felt like such a moron. They had gotten so caught up in the moment they had forgotten to bring back the woodchips.

For a moment, neither one of them could think. Sara tried to come up with a contrived excuse. She was doctor, and he was skilled negotiator/diplomat. If anyone had the intellectual aptitude to come up with something, it was he or she. _"That's confidential."_ Sara exclaimed aloud. Admiral Forrest raised an eyebrow: _"Confidential? Says who?"_ Sara gave a light smile: _"Says me. Doctor's orders!_


	3. One Night in San Francisco: Part 2

**Hey, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has followed or favorited this story. This means a lot to me. Thanks Wolfen281 and 09sasha for reviewing. I am glad you found the chapter comical ;-).**

 **...**

One Night in San Francisco: Part 2

Sara bolted for the inside of the house while Admiral Forrest observed the couple in utter perplexity. She immediately headed for her car and then to the upstairs bathroom. Thankfully, as a physician, Sara Archer always came prepared with an emergency _live in kit_. Long nights at Star Fleet Medical often required her to live out of a suitcase.

She reapplied her makeup and her perfume. Sara was well aware of the fact that Vulcans had a superior sense of smell. For only a moment, she was grateful of _Osu_ Oratt's teachings. Sara hoped additional fragrance would hide the essence of Soval on her skin. Sara scanned the rest of her body. Her dress, to her relief, was barely wrinkled. Sara quickly redid her hair. Strands from her ponytail had unfortunately come lose during her and Soval's _intimate_ encounter.

Sara looked deeply into the mirror. She briefly repositioned her dress to hide the love bite at the base of her neck. Sara then looked down into the sink. What had she been thinking? Feelings of regret immediately filled her. She had never intended for things to go as far as what they did. Yes, Sara would admit, she had wanted to mess around. Yes, Sara would also admit, she had been immensely forward him. However, she had never expected him to want to engage in _sex._ He had _entered_ her before she had comprehended his intentions. So yes, she would also admit as well, she had not denied him.

Sara covered her eyes with her hands. She was mad. No, she was pissed with him. Nonetheless, this did not change what they had just shared. Sara looked back up at the mirror. _God,_ she though to herself, _he is so hot._ Sara subconscious shuttered. Great. Now she had another thing to be mad at him about. Her sex life would never be the same. He had set the bar to high.

Sara heard knocking at the door. She immediately awoke from her thoughts. _"Coming. One moment."_ Sara reorganized her materials and placed them inside her bag. She moved to open the door. Sara raised an eyebrow when she saw who was standing before her. Sara tried to close the door, however, Soval stopped her. _"May I come in?"_ Sara stared at him blankly. She knew he was not really asking.

Sara rolled her eyes and let the man pass by her. She looked down the hallway, just to make sure no one was watching, and then she closed the door. He looked completely emotionless when she turned around. _"There is lipstick on your collar."_ She said bluntly. He raised an eyebrow and turned to the mirror. There was a slight grimace on his lips.

Sara grabbed a towel and began to wet it. She then moved her hand up to his neck. He immediately shifted away from her. Sara rolled her eyes. _" I am not going to do anything."_ She dabbed the red smear on his green robe. Soval looked somewhat conflicted. She then rolled his collar slightly up so the blemish would be unnoticeable.

Sara looked up. There was a slight yellow bruise forming where she had slapped him. She wanted to be mad at him. However, one precious look at him made her stop. Sara kissed him on the cheek. _"You and I really need to stop hooking up random locations. People are going to start to talk."_ His eyes darkened at that. _"You did not allow me to finish our previous discussion."_ Sara rolled her eyes. She leaned back against the sink: _"Look Soval, I get it. I was only a pretty face to pass the time."_ Soval raised an eyebrow: _"That was not what I was going to state at all."_ Sara gave him skeptical face: _"Do you really expect me to believe I am the first human woman you have tried to sleep with? I mean, come on, we haven't even seen each other in like seven years."_

Soval starred blankly at her. Sara smirked at him: _"Ya, I didn't think so."_ She thought to herself, " Besides, nobody can be that good _."_ Sara now analyzed Soval. He looked incredibly uncomfortable. _"What?"_ She leaned in. _"You are the first Terran I have laid with."_ He whispered in a hush tone. _"I am not well. "_ He continued reluctantly. _"My decisions made earlier were based off pure impulsiveness and uncontrolled lust. I trust you can forgive me for my momentary lapse of control."_

Sara looked at him as if he were a complete moron. _"No. I can't."_ She turned away from him, and placed her remaining items in the bag. Sara temporarily bent over to collect the towel she had just dropped. When she stood up again and turned around, she caught him glancing at her. Sara narrowed her eyes and hit his chest with the towel: _"You have a problem. I mean, who the hell …"_

Soval took both of her cheeks in his hands. He then forced his lips upon hers. She stopped talking … only for a moment. When Sara pulled away, she saw he was shaking all over. _"I am sorry …"_ Sara raised an eyebrow: _"Don't do that. Women don't like it when men apologies for kissing them."_ Sara stroked his forehead. _"You are burning up."_ Soval pushed himself away from her. _"I must leave. Mrs. Archer."_ He bowed his head, and left her to be.

…

Sara sat with her cousin Jonathan downstairs. They had spent the last two hours catching up. She had to admit something to herself: she was relieved to see him. Months of barely hearing from him gave her the frights. Jonathan was the only family she had left. Her parents had died in a flitter accident when Sara was only seven years old. Jonathan had lost his parents way before that. They were both orphans. Jonathan had been both her father and brother. The relationship Sara shared with him was so deep she could not imagine even for second what she would do if she lost him. Seeing Jonathan at home, on Earth, filled her with a sense of calm.

 _"_ _So will you do it?"_ Jon inquired of her. Sara looked at him skeptically. She had been lost in thought: _"Do what, Jonathan?"_ Jonathan gave her a smile: _"Join Enterprise."_ Sara ran her hands through her hair. She had had enough _alien encounters_ for one day. _"Jonathan,"_ Sara shook her head, _"You know how living on a star ship would make me feel."_

Jonathan rolled his eyes. _"Sara, the odds of you dying in space …"_ Sara cut in: _"Are pretty significant?"_ Jonathan shook his head: _"This is not the Delphic Expanse. We will be continuing our previous mission: to explore new alien worlds and encounter new species."_ Sara bit her lip: _"I don't know, Jonathan. To be honest, I hate the fact that even you're always up there. Do you have any idea how worried I have been lately?"_

 _"_ _I know you have concerns, Sara. But honestly, this is great opportunity. Besides, if you don't like it, you can change in six months."_ Sara narrowed her eyes: _"Why six months Jonathan?"_ Captain Archer took a breath: _"Enterprise is always required to have at least two physicians on board. I am afraid to say Phlox's partner was killed in the Delphic Expanse."_ Sara raised her eyebrows, as if to say _'really.'_ Jonathan proceeded on: _"I am afraid to say the hired replacement will not be graduating from academy until January. Until then, I will need a licensed physician to fill in the gap."_

Sara starred blankly at him. She really did not want to do this. _"Please, Sara."_ Jonathan murmured under his breath: _"I need you."_ Sara let out a sigh. She hated this, but she couldn't bring herself to say no. Jonathan really did need her. He was emotionally unstable. Sara nodded her head: _"Ok. I will do this."_ Jonathan gave her a huge smile. _"However, I have conditions."_ Sara blurted out.

 _"_ _Name them."_ Jonathan spoke. _"I will need time to continue my xenobiology classes. Some sort of online program will probably be necessary."_ Jonathan nodded his head for her to continue. _" I would also like some of hours to be counted toward my required residency hours. I need those to complete my qualifications."_ Jonathan nodded his head further: _"Ok. I will talk to Star Fleet Command. Welcome Aboard."_ He said cheerfully.

Sara laughed out loud. _"Your Welcome."_ Admiral Forrest entered the room. Sara quickly looked away; she was not interested in doing the walk of shame in front of him again. _"Hey. I just go done. Barbeque is out back if your hungry."_ Jonathan stood up and nodded his head. _"Sounds good to me."_ Sara followed him. _"Sara, here, has just accepted to be our on call physician for the next six months."_ Jonathan motioned to his superior.

The Admiral gave her a smile: _"Congratulations."_ He said innocently. _"Thank you, Sir."_ Jonathan and Sara moved to leave. _"Sara,"_ Maxwell spoke. Sara turned around: _"Yes?"_ She replied casually. _" Can I talk to you for a moment?"_ He gave her a small smile. Jonathan gave the older man a strange look. _"Is everything ok, Admiral?"_ There was tension in his voice.

The admiral shifted his shoulders: _"No, everything is fine, Jonathan. My wife found some old pictures when you and Sara were really little. She wanted me to give them to you guys."_ Jonathan nodded his head. Sara eyed him quizzically. Admiral Forrest left and went straight into his office. Sara reluctantly followed the man for Maxwell again further motioned for her.

Jonathan was out of sight moments later. However, that did not stop the admiral from closing the door. Sara looked around the office. It smelled of cedar. His fireplace had an elaborate design on the front. Sara then turned her head back to the admiral. He was leaning against his master desk with his arms crossed. She suspicions were confirmed: they were not going to be talking about pictures.

Admiral Forrest spoke aloud: _"So … I found the wood chips, …"_ He said cheekily. Sara was emotionless. She would deny what had happened between her and Soval till the day she died. _"Really?"_ She decided to play innocent. _"Soval and I looked really hard. Honestly, we just couldn't find them."_ Admiral Forrest smirked at her: _"They were on the floor, along with the stool."_ Sara didn't say anything. Damn.

Admiral Forrest shifted his head: _"You know Sara,_ _if there is something you want to talk about, I am all ears."_ He motioned to the seat before the desk. Sara didn't move at all. _"I don't understand."_ She choked out. That was pretty bad give away.

Admiral Forrest walked around his desk and sat at his seat. In order to be cordial, Sara followed his jester. _"You know I have known Soval for nearly thirty years."_ The admiral mused about. _"And he has gave me one hell of career."_ He added with a tad of sarcasm and a chuckle. Sara sat awkwardly at her seat as he continued to talk. _"Sometimes, especially when I see you and John, it feels like yesterday that Soval, your Uncle Henry, and me were conversing about the first warp prototype."_ Admiral Forrest gave her smile: _"Those were good times."_

Sara nodded her head in response. For a moment she was side tracked. Sara thought about what had happened at pool house. She tried to block out the memories of her moaning and writhing beneath the ambassador. Sara looked back up to the Admiral. He held a pensive gaze. _"Soval is a good man, Sara. Maybe even a great one. I can see why an equally fine woman like yourself would want to be with him."_ She turned completely red.

Sara attempted to hide her blush. _" I don't think …"_ She stuttered nervously, _"He wants me in that regard."_ The admiral narrowed his eyes. _"Sara,"_ He leaned forward, _"If there is one thing I have noticed over the past thirty years, Vulcans take their relationships very seriously. They don't exactly have 'a role in the hay.'"_ Sara narrowed her eyes. She didn't know if Maxwell knew what had happened, or if he was trying to make an unruly comparison.

Tears began to form in her eyes. She couldn't help but wonder if he had been with _other_ women. Most likely. He had given himself to her so freely. Soval claimed she was the only Terran he had ever _laid_ with. He may have been telling the truth, or he may not have been. Even at that, how many other Vulcan or alien women had he been with? For a moment, Sara couldn't help but wonder if Ambassador Soval was secretly some type of womanizer.

 _"_ _Sara,"_ the Admiral stated calmly. _"Are you ok? Did something happen between you and Soval."_ Sara gaze moved back to Admiral Forrest. She deeply cared about the man. He was like an uncle to her. However, she preferred to keep her deepest emotions to herself, even from those closes to her. Sara placed a fake smile on her face: _"I am fine, Sir. Truly."_ Her voice was almost convincing.

Maxwell simple gazed at her for several moments. Sara kept a straight face and hid the internal turmoil in the back of her mind. After a while, he leaned back in his chair and nodded his head. _"Ok. If that is how you really_ _ **truly**_ _feel. Please note, if you ever need someone to talk too, I am always available."_ Sara didn't say anything. She simply moved to leave.

 _"_ _Archer,"_ Maxwell called from behind his desk. Sara looked back at the man, and she noticed he was holding a medium sized envelope. He motioned for her and extended his arm. _"You didn't think I would let you forget these did you?"_ Sara gave him a small smile. She moved across the room and collected the small item.

 _"_ _Thank you, Admiral."_ Admiral Forrest nodded his head. Sara proceeded to return to the party. She walked outside to the patio. It was roughly eight thirty p.m. now. The outside was darker than it had been before. However, the light was still clearly visible. Jonathan was having a few laughs with Admiral Gardner. Emily was with Doctor Strom. She noticed Soval was in the corner looking equally pissed as ever. His eyes briefly flickered over to her. However, she completely ignored him.

Sara headed back over to her friend. _"Hey Emily."_ She turned around: _"Hey, where have you been?"_ Sara rolled her shoulders: _"Oh, you know, the usual, I took a hike with Ambassador, I spent some quality bonding time with Jonathan, and I just picked up some pictures from the admiral."_ Emily looked at her funny: _"You just took a hike with the Ambassador? Did you like jump him or something? Cause he has been acting kind of weird."_

Sara narrowed her eyes; she was glad to know she wasn't the only one who had noticed Soval's erratic behavior. _"Who knows? Maybe it is just I._ "Emily turned to Strom: _"Have you noticed anything odd, Doctor?"_ Strom didn't respond at first. In fact, when he did, he seemed very repressed. _"Can you be more specific in your prognosis, Mrs. Emily?"_ Emily shrugged her shoulders: _"Is he always this sullen?"_

Strom remained emotionless for a moment. He then murmured under his breath: _"Sometimes more than others."_ The doctor had almost a rebellious yet repressed expression. _"So he is always this … irritated?"_ Sara spoke aloud. Doctor Strom gave her dark look: _"It is unwise to speak of the Ambassador, especially so loudly, when he is near."_ Emily looked at the Vulcan skeptically. _"He is all the way over there!"_ She motioned with her head to the other end of the patio.

Strom briefly looked around. He raised an eyebrow in utter perplexity when he discovered his proximity to the ambassador. Sara wondered why the strange face. Then she became incredibly hot. Sara closed her eyes and prayed that the Doctor could not smell Soval on her.

Sara attempted to act as casually as possible. She hoped the doctor would not put two and two together. Jonathan immediately sat down with his plate of food. _"So … what are we talking about?"_ He asked incredibly casually. Emily leaned in: _"Mr. Cranky pants."_ She motioned to the ambassador. Strom looked at her oddly: _"I thought we were discussing the ambassador?"_

 _"_ _He looks really sullen. Don't you think so Sara?"_ Emily turned to her friend. Sara shook her head reluctantly. _"I don't see why anyone cares."_ Jonathan murmured aloud. Emily shifted her shoulders: _"Well. We care."_ Emily scanned his body some more: _"You know. If I didn't know any better, I would say he was heart broken."_

Jonathan snickered at that. Strom replied blankly: _" That is clearly not possible."_ Sara looked rather embarrassed. Emily shook her head: _"It is an idiom. It means the ambassador looks like a potential mate has just rejected him. Does that make any sense?"_ Strom nodded his head in comprehension. However, his eyes seemed to rest on Sara. She looked away. This day was going from bad to worse. She immediately wished she had not accepted Jonathan's invitation.

 _"_ _Are you well, Doctor Archer?"_ Strom inquired. Sara looked upward: _"Yes, just lost in thought."_ The Vulcan shifted his head: _"May I inquire what your thoughts dwell on?"_ Sara gave a light smile: _"Someone who shouldn't be consuming my time."_ She said with some humor. _"Better not be Soval."_ Jonathan exclaimed as he consumed some coleslaw. Emily laughed out loud. Jonathan raised his fork in a horizontal direction. _"That bastard has been nothing but trouble these last few months."_

Sara closed her eyes. That statement pretty much summed up her entire life long conversations regarding Soval with her cousin. _"You know, if I didn't know any better, I would say he deliberately tried to sabotage our mission."_ Jonathan said almost too calm. Sara looked to her cousin: _"John,"_ she murmured lightly, _"Not here."_

She gave him a pleading look and he stopped talking. _"I need to use the restroom."_ She walked away and smoothed down her dress. Sara walked into the house. She looked through the kitchen doorway. Admiral Gardner, Admiral Forrest, and some Vulcan aids were in a heated discussion about warp technology.

She felt the urge to pee. Sara walked back upstairs to use the restroom. She was surprised to see Soval on the living room floor. _"Are you ok?"_ She spoke. His head was being supported by one hand. He rose slowly. _"I am … satisfactory."_ He spoke aloud. Sara scanned his body. He looked so ill. Dark black circles were under his eyes. A slight sweat grazed his skin. For some reason unknown, the look he was giving her made her uncomfortable.

He looked almost like a crouching tiger stalking his prey. He then rapidly blinked as he turned away. Sara looked at the floor. Incenses burned. The ambassador was clearly attempting to meditate. _"I didn't know you always carried a spare meditation lamp."_ Soval raised an eyebrow: _"When dealing with humans, I find it best always to be prepared."_

Sara narrowed her eyes at the insult. _"How is your meditating going?"_ She spoke with a mocking tone. _"Not very well, especially now that you are here."_ Sara laughed out loud. _"Sorry, I better leave. I would hate for you to have another emotional outburst today. Once is bad enough. Twice? Now that is not very becoming of our very own Vulcan Ambassador."_

Sara knocked on the bathroom door. However, the door was locked. A warm hand touched her shoulder. Sara immediately jumped in her step and turned around. _"I am not prone to emotional outbursts. While my control earlier was lacking, I did not exhibit any visual form of sentiment."_ He spat. Sara could see he was becoming irritated. She shrugged her shoulders and leaned inward. _"Your lying Ambassador."_ She purred in his ear. _"You may not have exhibited any form of facial movements. However, I noticed plenty of visual forms of emotion earlier."_

Soval crossed his arms: _"Meaning?"_ Sara looked down to his pants. Soval looked down too: _"May I inquire what you are staring at?"_ Sara gave him a crude smile: _"What do you think I am staring at?"_ Soval narrowed his eyes: _"Your indirect, repetitive question responding and yet also repeating my direct question is frankly unnerving."_

Sara kept a smirk on her lips. She hated him in moments like these. He was so arrogant. Yet, unfortunately, his arrogance was a turn on. _"Oh, Ambassador … if I was any more straight forward …"_ She closed her eyes; she had accidently made a pun. _" The results would not be good."_ She leaned against the door. Soval leaned forward. He placed his hand on the wall behind her. _"I would prefer a direct answer."_ Sara's smile grew at his response.

She whispered into his ear. _"Define direct."_ The Ambassador raised his eyebrow: _" In the English language 'direct' can be utilized as an adjective or a verb. However, in this context, 'direct' is adjective and refers to …"_ Sara rushed forward and silenced him with a kiss. She immediately pulled back as he started to respond. He looked rather irritated. She patted his cheek: _"You need to stop talking."_ She lightly stroked his manhood through his garment. _"Is that 'direct' enough for you, Ambassador?"_ She teased him.

Soval didn't look amused. Instead, he pushed her against the door and kissed her neck. He was not particular gentle either. She felt him stroke the sides of her neck with his free hand. Sara felt his hand move up to her temple. However, she was so distracted by his mouth that she barely noticed. Then she felt something. For a complete sixty seconds, Sara was consumed by several waves of heat. She couldn't compare it to anything she had ever experienced, but it was if her blood _burned._

She felt dark, dreaded craving for physical intimacy. Passion that she didn't even know she had wrenched in the depths of her soul. Confusion and fear surrounded her. Sara looked deep into Soval's eyes. They were scary. He gave her the same crazed look he had given her seven years ago. She didn't know what was going on. However, she acknowledged something was clearly not right.

Soval's eyes cleared. He returned for a moment back to normal. _"What just happened?"_ He scanned her body. Sara found his gaze somewhat distracting. She felt something twitching in the back of her mind. Soval apparently noticed it as well. His mouth fell open. A look of pure horror flashed across his face.

Soval looked around. _"We must leave."_ Sara was so confused. _"What? Why?"_ Soval did not answer. He grabbed her arm and simply pulled her down the stairs. She tried to act as casually as possible in front of everyone in the dining room. Never mind the fact that Soval's hand was clearly on her arm.

 _"_ _Hey Squirt."_ Admiral Gardner called out. Sara briefly turned around. _"Where you going?"_ Sara looked at Soval. He had an anxious look. _"The Ambassador needs to see a physician."_ His grip tightened around her arm. Sara winced. _"Please tell Admiral Forrest I said, "thank you." Also please tell my cousin Jonathan that I have left."_ Admiral Gardner looked at Soval and then glanced back at Sara. _"Sure, I will do so. Take care."_ There was an awkward tone in his voice.

Soval pulled Sara along. He pushed her outside and attempted to pull her into his vehicle. _"Ok."_ She resisted him. _"What is going on?"_ Soval looked furious: _"Get in the vehicle."_ He ordered to her. Sara decided it was better not to argue with him. Soval got in on the other side. She noticed he had plugged in coordinates.

Soval sat two seats over. She noticed later he was reciting some Vulcan verse repetitively. This action creeped her out. Sara opened her bag and pulled out a tricorder. She began to scan him. Soval's eyes lurched open, and he grabbed her device. _"You would be unwise to do such a thing."_

 _"_ _Where are we going?"_ He didn't even answer her. He was sweating so badly now. _"This was never supposed to happen."_ He growled aloud. _"I had two months to wait."_ He was clearly speaking to himself. _"Two months! Two months till what?"_ Sara questioned him. _"Silence."_ He yelled at her. Sara didn't even speak for the rest of the ride. She was so terrified.

They arrived at some small cottage in the woods. _"Where the hell are we?"_ Soval did not even answer. He simply pulled her along. Soval shakily unlocked the door. They entered the building, and he slammed the door shut. Everything was completely dark.

Sara had no clue what was going on. Her thoughts, however, came to a screeching halt when she felt his hands around her waist and his lips on her neck. _"Soval."_ She groaned a loud. He was very rough and pushed her against the wall. _"Soval,"_ she yelled again. He didn't seem too keen on talking. He picked her up and brought her to his bedroom.

He dropped her on the bed roughly. Sara was confounded by his actions. Through the dark, she could see the outline of his physical form. Sara saw him shred off his outer robes. _"Soval, please tell me what is going on?"_ She could hear heavy breathing. _"You would do better not to resist me."_ He stated bluntly. Sara narrowed her eyes: _"Are you going to … rape me?"_ Shook and horror filled her voice. Sara attempted to bolt from the room. However, Soval caught her.

 _"_ _If you leave me, you too will die."_ Sara looked mortified: _"Is that a threat?"_ She leered at him. _"That is the truth."_ He said with anger. Soval took a step forward. Sara pushed off him and took a step back. Soval clearly was ill. She knew the 'sane' Soval would never allow something like this to happen.

 _"_ _Why are you doing this?"_ Sara stammered. She saw him put his head in his hands. Sara attempted to lightly touch his shoulder. Sara wanted only to calm him. However, this motion simply set him off. _"We do not speak off it!"_ He yelled at her. Tears pierced Sara's eyes. Soval's gaze softened. As if, only for a moment, he returned back to his normal self. _"Every seven years … a Vulcan male undergoes a neurochemistry imbalance known as … Pon Farr. They demonstrate symptoms known plak tow. In English, that would translate roughly into …blood fever."_  
Sara shook his head: _"Ok. So you are sick. We need to get you to a Vulcan physician."_ Soval's eyes narrowed: _"No."_ He hissed at her. _"And why not?"_ Her voice slightly rose. She no longer felt afraid of him. _"They cannot help me."_ Sara completely grimaced. _"Then what can?"_

Soval took a deep breath and then took another step forward. He involuntarily cringed and wiped sweat of his forehead. Sara responded with taking another step back. _"There are three available options to address Pon Farr._ _The first, and also the least effective,"_ sarcasm lurked in his voice, _"is meditation."_ Sara stared blankly at the man. _"The second is participating in ritual combat. However, that would not be an advisable option."_ Sara placed her hands in front of her: she attempted to protect herself. _"Why not?"_

Soval smirked at her: _"I would easily over power you. Then I would do with you as I please. The last option to addressing this issue is taking a mate."_ Soval crossed his arms. _"How does taking a mate help with this disorder?"_ Sara stammered.

 _"_ _It is not the mate in and of itself. It is the actions that the mate participates in which is important. The neurochemical imbalance can only be solved by partaking intense, physical mating."_ Sara starred at him perplexed. _"Is this a joke?"_ She had never heard of anything more ridiculous in her life. In some regard, this sounded like a really bad pick up line.

 _"_ _Vulcans do not joke, especially about matters like these."_ Soval hissed darkly. _"Why me?"_ She spoke again. She felt Soval's hand on her dress. He was haphazardly taking off her dress. _"When we mated earlier, I accidentally initiated a base bond. My Pon Farr was not supposed to be for another two months. I am afraid to say our intimacy sped up the process."_ The dress fell to the floor.

He licked her collarbone. His voice now was dark and husky. _"Base bond?"_ Sara asked. _"You are now my ... engaged mate."_ He said absentmindedly. Sara looked at him strangely. She figured he was half crazy at the moment and could not be trusted. Soval pushed her onto the bed. Sara attempted to sit up. However, he pounced on top of her.

 _"_ _Soval."_ Sara hissed again. He had slightly hurt her. However, Soval was not listening. He simple ripped off her additional garments from her body. Soval then removed his additional clothing. He grabbed her head and placed a long kiss on her mouth. Sara gasped for breath. When he finally released, she watched him closely. She was partly scared, and somewhat turned on. _"How long must you … mate?"_ Soval raised his head. _"Two… sometimes … three or four days."_ Sara's eyes widened.

Soval went back to his previous activities. She closed her eyes. Sara partially could not believe that this was happening. Out of survival, she simply remained still. No matter how crazy this all was Sara did believe him. He clearly needed her at the moment. She was a doctor and he was her patient. Sara was morally obligated to take care of him. It was no more profound than this. Sara looked him in the eyes. They were dark and lusty. He began to roughly _enter_ her. Sara involuntarily cringed in a slight amount of pain.

She would do this for him. And after this, she would never speak to him again. This man had gotten her into enough trouble over the course of her lifetime. Soval had postponed her Uncle Henry's warp engine. He had protested her cousin Jonathan's commission to _Enterprise_. There was so much anger and resentment between this man and the Archer family. Sara knew she could never be with him; especially not in the way she wanted. She would have him again just this once, and then they would go their own separate paths. This was not a romance story. Soval was clearly not a prince, and she was not a princess. She was Sara Archer, the new physician to the star ship _Enterprise._ He was Ambassador Soval, the skilled negotiator and diplomat. She was human and he was Vulcan.

Nothing was going change that.

...

 **So what did you think ? Sara is going to have a hard time later on. Please PM me or give me your personal thoughts. I am open to suggestions. What did you like and what did you not like ? I am planning on writing one last prequel chapter. Then I will resume the previous plot. Please Review ! Thanks :-)**


	4. The Morning After

Sara awoke hours before the rising sun. Yes, she was completely nauseous, and she possessed a raging headache. She briefly looked over to the body lying beside her. Soval appeared to be passed out. His breathing was rugged. Sara slightly stroked his forehead. It was still quite warm. Vulcan's were biologically warmer than humans. Thankfully, though, his temperature felt like it was now back to normal.

Sara attempted to remove herself from his entanglement. She was currently pulled up close. His arms were wrapped around her body, gripping her for his dear life. Sara slowly pushed off his shoulders. She heard him take a sharp breath and then murmur something unintelligible in Vulcan.

Sara moved off the bed. She didn't even think to find a cup. Sara simply bolted for the sink, drinking out of the faucet. She stayed there for a full minute. Then she collapsed to the floor. Her body streaked in pain, and her head was pounding. Out of pure frustration, she simply rested her head against the back of the cabinet.

Sara couldn't bring herself to cry. She didn't have enough liquid. A few minutes later, she reluctantly opened her eyes to ruffling sound. Soval was standing outside the bedroom, scanning the room. When his eyes found hers, he advanced toward her. "Soval," She cried in fear. "Shhh," He said with some pain, "It is over."

Soval picked up her body. She felt him slightly stagger. Sara then became fully aware of the fact that she was nude before him. She saw he was wearing nothing but a loincloth. He moved and then laid her down on the coach in the living room. He proceeded to leave the room.

She heard rippling through the cabinets. Sara wondered immediately where she was. When Soval returned, he held an alien device. "I trust you are acquainted with the thermal high – generator?" He inquired as he moved it over her bite-marks and bruises. Sara gave him an odd look, but then nodded her head. Humans were often not permitted access to advanced Vulcan technology. She usually would have been fascinated. However, now, she could not bring herself to acknowledge the intriguing device's existence.

When Soval was done, he placed the device on the coffee table next to the coach. He then moved his hand under her jaw and pushed back her hair. "Sara," He said instead of his typical _Mrs. Archer._ "I am so sorry." His voice cracked. If Sara didn't know any better, she could have sworn he was about to cry. She immediately wondered if this _Pon Farr_ had emotional after effects.

Sara just starred into his eyes and then nodded her head. " I know." She finally responded. Everything made sense now; especially that kiss he had given her seven years ago. Soval had been under the influence of this _Pon Farr_. He had tried to protect her by refusing her then.

"I meant what I said all those years ago." Soval looked confused for a moment. However, she didn't clarify her words. After her adolescent mistake, a few weeks later – after he had completed his _Pon Farr_ cycle and returned from wherever he had disappeared to - he had appeared to her. Their true final discussion had been very disagreeable. So disagreeable she choose to block it from her mind so she would not have to remember it as their true final conversation.

Soval had scolded her for her actions. Making her promise him to keep away from the remainder of his staff, and yet not fully clarifying the state of his condition. During this time, Sara had confessed that she loved him. Soval had dismissed her. Insisting that she was to young to fully comprehend her actions, Soval sent her away.

Soval's eyes finally narrowed his eyes in comprehension. He moved and sat down on the coach next to her. Sara placed her head on his chest. "You are so young." He murmured more to himself than to her. "I am not a little kid anymore." Soval didn't even respond to that.

Sara knotted her hands through his white chest hair. He briefly caressed her hair. It was so late. Sara wanted to close her eyes. "What time is it?" Soval whispered into her ear. "0103." Sara looked up. "And how long did we …" Soval interrupted her: "Two days."

Sara nodded her head: "Emily and Jonathan are going to kill me." Soval raised eyebrow. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." He nodded his head. "I need a shower." She attempted to push up. Sara could only imagine what types of bodily fluids were on her.

She found she was too stiff to move. Internal pain bolted through her system. "I guess that is going to have to wait." Soval spoke: "If you require assistance …" Sara shook her head: "I am exhausted." She further caressed his chest. Everything was so dark. The only exception was the kitchen light.

Sara looked upward. She found that he wasn't even looking at her. Her hand reached up to move toward his face. He was completely frowning. "What?" She asked. " I should have never involved a human in a Vulcan matter like this." Guilt was subconsciously leaking his voice. Sara just frowned. He moved his head away from her touch. She then raised her voice: "Ya, no shit, Soval." He was completely silent.

She then shifted away from him. "You can't change what happened. And before you ask: No, I won't tell anyone. Not for your sake, but for _mine_. I am a doctor, and I took an oath to maintain the confidentiality between me and my patient." Sara attempted to sit up. Then, she was struck back down by soreness. "Your lucky I have known you my entire life. Whether you like it or not, I know all your ridiculous little quirks. I knew something wasn't right the moment I saw you!"

Soval twisted his neck in her direction: "And yet you choose to pursue me? I was under the influence of abhorrent symptoms of _Pon Farr._ You claim you were fully aware I was not in my right state mind, and yet _you_ sought to take advantage of my lack of control for your own physical gratification."

Sara raised her voice: "Hey, do not make this out to be my fault! Especially after what I just did for you. Besides, had you been any other Vulcan man, or just man period, I would have shot your ass in your sleep after we did what we did!"

Soval appeared to be breathing heavily now. He flared his nostrils.

Sara attempted to move off the coach, but she simply collapsed on the floor. Soval moved to pick her up in his arms. "You bastard. I can handle myself." Sara stated. Soval simply raised an eyebrow: "I can assure you during the time of my conception my parents were married." Sara shook her head: "That is not what I meant!" She then spoke again in hopes to irritate him: "I hope your spawn are bastards, pointers." That was the Vulcan equivalent of _you Son of a Bitch_ , except directing an insult towards one's offspring - she had learned from complements of Strom- was far more insulting.

Soval carried her across the room. "Dully noted." Cynicism lurked in his voice. She shook her head into his chest. Soval then sat her on the bed. "Where are we?" Soval didn't even speak. He began searching through the closet. Soval pulled out a sweat suit. "Put this on." He ordered.

He then left the room. Well, I guess she had succeeded. He was mad. Even if Soval didn't show it, he was really mad. Sara starred outside the door. She immediately felt like she was seventeen again. Just watching him stamp out that door, watching him leave her aroused so many unpleasant memories. What had happened between them? At one point of her life, she would have considered him a friend. Now, however, things were just screwed up.

Sara shook her head and dressed. She attempted to avoid screeching in pain. The inside of her thighs were practically raw. Tears briefly erupted from her eyes. Sara heard the door open from behind. She knew instantly it was Soval. He was now completely clothed – not that she cared to turn around. He came briefly up from behind her and injected a hypospray into her neck.

Sara felt her body engulfed in pure relief. She breathed in and out hastily. "Relax," Soval murmured into her ear, and placed his arm around her body to keep her from falling. Sara subconsciously leaned back into his embrace for her limbs could not support her. She slightly turned her head around and gazed into his eyes. For a moment, and only a moment, she saw the true man concealed behind his stoic demeanor.

There was a sense of vulnerability hidden behind the depths of his _katra_. When she looked at him, she saw more than just a Vulcan Ambassador. This was a man who had essentially walked beside her her entire life. He was her childhood hero and secret love. For some odd reason, Sara felt as if she could actually feel his vulnerabilities, his loneliness. She began to start sobbing.

No matter how Un-Vulcan the situation was, Soval's next actions would always be remembered. What she had just been through was so traumatic she could not even rationalize the encounter. Sara hated, no she abhorred the retched monster she had been forced to endure for nearly two days. And yet, she deeply cared for the man who stood before her.

Sara lost balanced and fell into his arms. She expected that Soval would move her to another location. But instead, the two just stood there. Sara simply cried into his shoulder. By the time she pulled back he was completely placid. He did, however, lean in and rest his forehead against her. A sense of calmness filled her for no apparent reason. His hands stroked tears off her cheeks. " You are far to young and beautiful to be shedding such tears. Especially because an insolent fool such as myself."

He proceeded to whisper in her ear: " You were always such a brilliant child. And your passion to learn was always admired." He then lowered his voice: "Especially by me." He then took a breath: "I had hoped during your time spent at university you would find …. a well versed mate. That you would move away from your … unorthodox attraction towards me." A tear dripped down Sara's eye.

Soval flinched and then cleared his voice: "My expectations were apparently not reasonable." Sara shook her. She could not bear this right now. Not after everything that had just happened. Soval persisted: " I always was aware of your interest in me." Sara gave him an odd look. "Your insinuation with Shakespeare, while a times was quite mind bending, was in fact quite … direct." The woman then blushed. So he had noticed her as an adolescent.

"Nevertheless, while I am sure you would have preferred … other alternatives, I have always had your best interests- what do humans say – at heart? You say you love me, Mrs. Archer. I do not necessarily doubt your affections. But if I reciprocated your desires, I would be defying everything I have been taught regarding my Vulcan heritage, but more importantly, I would be holding you back from your true potential. And I will never seek hinder you, especially after what has concurred. I owe you my life, and you do not owe me anything. From this moment onward, you shall be free of me."

Sara looked into his eyes. "What if I don't want to be free of you?" Soval shook his head. "You must." Sara frowned as another tear rolled down. "Why?" Soval whispered into her ear: "For my advice is undeniably logical." Sara couldn't even respond to that. _Fuck_ logic. She thought to herself.

"I think you will get your wish." Sara murmured aloud. Soval narrowed his eyes. "I am transferring to Enterprise." He was silent for a long moment. She knew he disliked humanity traveling among the stars. " Your cousin is nothing short of a _nirak_ to involve you in such a foolish endeavor." Sara just chuckled. "I will try not get into too much trouble while I am gone." Soval gave her a funny look. "That was sarcasm."

Soval shook his head: "You Archer's have always presented the most perplexing range emotions." He took a deep breath. Sara now gave _him_ a funny look. "I don't understand. " Soval shook his head: "I am at loss to describe it." Sara pressed forward: "Go on. If you can't describe it, give me an analogy."

"You posses the arrogance of Andorians, the stubbornness of Tellerites, one moment you are as driven by your emotions as Klingons, and the next moment you suddenly confound me by suddenly embracing logic." Sara nearly laughed: "You know, you pretty much just summed up the very essence of humanity."

Soval shook his head: "Yes, but even while humanity is irrational, the depth of your species perplexity can never be compared to that of your own." Sara just continued to laugh. "I was not attempting to be comical." Sara nodded: "I know, but I thought it was funny because for a moment I thought you were talking about Vulcans. You should really give that analogy to Admiral Forrest next times his accidently tries to stereotype Vulcan culture."

Soval simply raised an eyebrow.

 **Hey Everyone, sorry that I am late for this update. I have been busy with school and my other fanfiction works. If you like, then please review. If you have an questions or comments feel free to leave a comment or PM me. Next chapter we will be resuming the current plot. Soval and Sara have a lot to learn. I have tried to set them on good terms, but with their personalities we know that can only work for so long.**


	5. A Mother's love

_Disclaimer: See Chapter 1._ **Hello Everyone. I just want to take a moment to remind everyone this chapter is a continuation of Chapter 1. I want to thank decisiveorigin, 09sasha, Rishooter, and Artanaro for reviewing my plot. Four reviews for one chapter. This may be small to most people, but for me, as a writer, this is huge.**

Sara Archer watched as her _son_ removed his hand and stepped away. "I know there is much to discuss," He said abrupty. Sara retreated from her daze and shook her head: "Yes." She blurted out before she could stop herself. Instead of responding, Sovalson formally bowed his head. "We shall talk later." He then swiftly turned around and charged through sick bay's door. Sara could not remove her eyes from his direction. For a moment, she thought she was having _deja vu._ Was that Soval or some mystical, yet quite real man whom called himself her son ?

Hona was still standing next to her. "Well," She shrugged her shoulders. " I guess that is my _que_ to leave." Hona then crossed her arms. When Hona looked behind her, Soval was giving her a rather odd look. "Wait," Sara grabbed her shoulder and became, by Soval's standards, unmethodical: "What ?" The mother exclaimed to her daughter as she shook her. "You just got here!"

Hona shook her head: "No, you just got here. We have been traveling in and out of this system for nearly fifty seven years." Sara narrowed her eyes: "That is not what I mean't." Sara then turned around to look across the room before turning back to Hona. She took a deep breath and then raged like a lion: "You can't just storm in here with a fifty-seven year old vessel, claim your my daughter, and _then_ just leave! If I am truely your mother, then I deserve an explanation !"

Hona looked terrified. " _Samek,_ " She cried for her father in some foreign tongue, most likely Vulcan. Soval did not even respond to the call. Sara snapped her fingers. "No, do not run to him. This conversation is purely between me and you!" She snapped at her. The words were harsh, but reasonable. Sara was attempting to control herself, but the stress of the entire situation was beginning to kick in. Here, right before her, was physical evidence of she and Soval's compulation- something that she had gone through great lengths to hide. The doctor then closed her eyes. Sara then placed her hands on Sara's shoulders: "Explain yourself." She said gently to her daughter.

Tears immediately began to form in Hona's eyes. "They took them all." Hona attempted to conceal her blasted emotions and failed. She shriveled away from her mother. Soval stepped forward and leaned in: "Who?" Hona shook her head. "Twenty-five members of the crew, including my younger brother Maxwell and Sovalson's woman and daughter." Sara just reached out held her. However, not knowing how to respond to such an outburst, Soval just stood there. Sara silently mouthed at him, " Do something." Instead, he simply quirked an eyebrow. She resisted rolling her eyes. Clearly Vulcans and Human responded differently to emotional distress.

" We were sent down to the world _Osirius_ to exchange a group of injector pads for Garonium liquid from an Andorian mining vessel. When we got there, a group Klingon's were waiting. They attacked us, and they took all of our capitol and several members of our crew." Tears were rolling down Hona's face. "Did you say you were expecting an Andorian mining vessel?" Soval interjected. Sara looked up at him: "Soval, _shut up_. She is clearly in pain."

Captain Archer approached the group. Sara had completely forgotten her cousin was standing behind her. "Is everything ok?" Sara glared at him. _Men._ No, everything was not ok. " She is just exhausted," Sara exclaimed. She then turned to Soval. "Please escort the Ambassador out of sickbay, Captain." Soval looked completely offended, nevertheless, before he could protest, Sara raised her hand up. "No, this patient is clearly in emotional distress! Forget what I just said. I am the doctor on this vessel. In instances like these, my authority overrides the captain." Sara then placed her hands on her hips and pointed to the door. "Get out Ambassador. That is an order."

Soval leaned in forward: "I am a leading member on the High Command. My command overrides yours. No one is in immediate danger of death, so your assertion is invalid." Soval then turned around. "Captain Archer, when you have a moment, I wish to discuss something of grave importance with you." Sara just stood there. She wanted to kill him, but that would be uncivilized - especially in front of their daughter. Hona looked utterly perplexed. "Is everything fine ?" Sara looked back to her daughter. "No, you are hurt." Hona shook her head, " I mean't between you and my father ?" Now it was Sara's turn to look perplexed. It then occurred to her that perhaps she and Soval had purposely avoided fighting in front of their children. If that was the case, then Sara pitied her daughter. She hoped Hona was not just now uncovering this unfortunate revelation.

T'Pol and Commander Tucker had left the room. Soval and Jonathan were now chatting in the corner of the room. Sara clutched her womb. Everything seemed to fade into a blur. She had known something was not right. For nearly two months Sara had plagued with overbearing tiredness and nausea. She had originally attributed this odd change in character to stress and environment. Sara blamed _Enterprise_ , but now she just blamed herself. She was going to be mother. This was such a foreign concept she struggled to grasp it. Sara couldn't bring herself to believe in seven months she was going to have a baby, or rather babies.

She then looked to Soval. He was lecturing Jonathan. John looked less than pleased. Sara shook her head. What had she been thinking? She had given herself to him, everything, without contemplation. Sara had never been more frivolous in her life. Yes, she had always had a wild streak in her, but she was not stupid. Sara was medical diplomat, ivy league educated and top of her class. In all honesty, she rarely entertained the concept men, something that somewhat concerned Jonathan. She was twenty five and had only previously had one boyfriend. They had dated for nearly two years, but after graduating from UCLA they had both gone their own separate ways. After being alone for nearly six months, Sara had been desperate for some positive male attention. Sexual attraction was something she rarely experienced. Infatuation was a particularly foreign concept.

And here, her daughter, her own flesh and blood, was standing before her. Sara could only hope her children had inherited her emotional understanding and their father's methodical thinking patterns. She would hate for any of her children to born with her mindset.

…

The group stood on the bridge. Malcolm was drawling up battle plans: "You said you were attacked here by the Klingons." The officer stated as he pointed to the topographic design of the surface on the computer. Lorian nodded his head: "Precisely." Commander Tucker interjected, " Do you think the Andorian's set you up?" Lorian shook his head: "We have a well established relationship with several Andorian mining vessels. I must confess, in the past, we have had some disputes, but it has never influenced our trading relationship."

"Disputes ? Meaning ?" Soval leaned forward. Lorian didn't look too keen on answering his question. "Lorian," After a moments silence, Captain Archer spoke, "If you want us to help you, we need you to be completely honest with us!" Lorian still looked slightly irritated, but did answer the ambassador's previous question. "One of my fellow officers has been in a long standing quarrel with a certain Andorian commander." T'Pol and Archer exchanged curious looks."What does this Andorian officer call himself ?" T'Pol inquired. Lorian released a irritated breath: "Shran, Commander Thy'lek Shran of the Imperial Guard." Soval closed his eyes. Sara turned and gave Lorian an odd look: "Who?"

Jonathan touched her on the shoulder, almost as if to communicate to her _I will explain later_. Jonathan leaned forward: "What sort of quarrel are we discussing?" Lorian bit his tongue. Hona gave a blank expression. Lorian choose his next words _very_ carefully. " The merits in regards to the ownership of certain property rights has came to mind. The Andorian Commander is under the impression he is the rightful owner, while one of my crew members dictates he is."

Sara could sense he was hiding something. "Can you be more specific?" Lorian ignored her comment: "The Commander is a good man, but he has the propensity to be impulsive, perhaps at times, even a tad arrogant." Soval raised his eyebrow: "I believe stronger words can be used to describe the late commander."

Commander Tucker rolled his eyes. Sara narrowed her own. She got the immediate impression this was a common occurrence. Lorian continued: "While his judgement was faulty, I do not believe his intentions were malicious. The property he has lost … has great value to him."

Jonathan Archer shifted his head: " Shran reported uncovering hidden Xindi weapons." Lorian bursted out laughing, an action that clearly appalled Soval. Lorian then shook his head: "Then it has appeared that Commander Shran has lied to you. I believe the Klingons mistook your vessel for that of our own."

A dark type of tension diffused among the crew members. "Meaning ?" Sara pressed. " We believe Commander originally planned to consult with you, which is why he requested your presence. Unfortunately, even in times of dire need, the strongest of commanders grow desperate. Shran purposely hired a group of Klingon mercenaries to attack our vessel and retrieve his _property_."

Soval leaned forward: "And why exactly do you think I will allow any of my aides or the _Enterprise_ to assist you? Why should this entire crew pay for the ignorance of one of your subordinates? Especially when you have failed to deluge any information regarding this so called _property._ " Thick sarcasm lurked in the depths of his voice. Lorian slowly gazed up: " You will help me because the Klingons have your younger son and your granddaughter. And if you don't help me, I promise you, Shran will make the innocent pay for the sins of the guilty."

A chill rushed through Sara's system. "What do you need?" Lorian looked up: " Your compliance." He ordered the woman.

…

Sara promptly left the bridge after the heated debate. A resolution had not yet been produced. She returned to sick bay, pleased to find Phlox gone. Sara immediately bolted to the lab and began by running blood work and taking scans. Pregnancy tests were overrated. Tricorders were far more concise and to the point. One scan and she would get her answer.

Shaking, Sara raised the small, medical device above her stomach. Although it was only seconds, she felt as if it were hours. Sara could feel her heart pounding. Her mouth gasped open after receiving the results. There was evidence of two small Vulcan life signs in her uterus.

Sara placed the tricorder on the cold, hard counter. Her breath hitched. So this was it ? She thought as the background of the lab faded away. This was how it all ended? Tears braced her eyes. This was no longer a bad dream. No, everything was clearly real. Sara took a sharp breath in disbelief. How could this have happened ? Vulcans and Humans had been engaging in diplomatic relations for nearly a century, and never before had something like this concurred. Then again, if Sara was pregnant, it seemed unlikely, judging off the timespan of interracial political relations, that she was the first. But even with that comforting, scientific thought, tears persisted to roll down her eyes.

Regardless of such of possibilities, the severity of the situation passed through her like a bullet jolting a target. No world was not ready for this, Vulcan or Earth. Her family would be publicly humiliated after this revelation came to light. The Archer family had been at odds with the High Command for nearly two generations. No one would ever take them seriously politically after such a scandal.

Soval would be recalled to Vulcan. There would be heavy charges levied against him, as an ambassador, for messing around with a native. She would be forced to raise her children alone, fatherless, in solitude. And no man would have her after such a controversy.

How would her children be perceived by their fellow Earthlings? How would they be perceived by their fellow Vulcans? Would her son or daughter ever find appropriate mates ? Would anyone, Vulcan or Human, ever desire them the way they should be? Fear pursed through Sara's body. All these thoughts and so little time.

The fate of so many people wrested on her shoulders because of one careless mistake. She couldn't help but think further: how would this change her relationship with Soval? She and he had agreed to go their own separate ways. Now, in some way, they were connected together.

The sick bay door blasted open. Sara flashed around, only to met with her son. Sovalson narrowed his eyes. "Mother, are you well? " Sara brushed her eyes. "I'm sorry. You were not supposed to see me this way."

Sara attempted to pick up the Triorder and place it in her lab coat pocket. However, she horribly failed and dropped the scanner on the floor. Sara took a deep breath and attempted to lean down to pick it up. Sovalson, nevertheless, beat her to chase and grabbed the device. He briefly glanced down at the results and frowned. Sara, in response, looked away in shame. Here she was feeling sorry for herself, and to think, this young man before her was going to pay for her and his father's sins.

Sovalson placed the device on the table. By the time Sara looked back, she could see he had tensed. There was a long silence before anyone spoke. "Does father know ? Sovalson quietly replied. Sara reached up to wipe her cheeks and shook her head. "No," She looked down at the floor momentarily. She then glanced back her son.

"How do your …" She then stopped and rephrased her wording. "How did I tell your father in your universe? I mean, how did he react ?" Sovalson crossed his arms and then spoked: "In my universe, you revealed your condition to my father on an extended mission away from _Enterprise_." Sara nodded her head: "Go on." Sovalson then continued: " You, my father, and few colleagues were sent to negotiate a trade deal on an alien world. Unfortunately, you were taken hostage. Sometime during your imprisonment, however, you confessed your condition to my father."

Sara nodded her head. Part of her was disturbed she had revealed to Soval she was expecting in a prison. Then again, seeing the current mess the other _Enterprise_ had gotten themselves into with the Klingons, this may happen all the time. "And how did he respond ?" Sara leaned inward. Sovalson raised an eyebrow: "I cannot tell you his first reactions. However, after you escaped and returned to _Enterprise_ , he insisted promptly that the two of you _bond._ "

Sara looked confused. She had known Soval since she was a toddler. How much more bonding could the both of them possibly share. "Bond?" Sovalson reclarified his words: "Marriage. He insisted upon marriage." Sara's mouth fell open. Sovalson then continued: "And according to my father, you formally rejected him alone twice. He then attempted to broker a marriage contract with your cousin Jonathan, which later led you to rejecting him a third time." Sara didn't know wether to laugh or cry. Sovalson put his hands in his pockets. "Nevertheless, undaunted, he pursued you. Sometime in your late pregnancy you finally accepted his offer."

Sovalson then stroked his mother's back. Sara shook her head, taking in the information. "Why are you crying?" Sovalson gently spoke. Sara looked up: " I don't know how I am going to do this." Sovalson gave her rare, light pleasing smile: "You will persist." Sara took a deep breath: "Are you sure?" Sovalson nodded his head: "With you, mother, all things are possible."

Sara comically rolled her eyes as she sniffled her nose: "Are you sure? I don't think your father would hold a similar opinion? " The tad of sarcasm was laced in her words. Sovalson raised an eyebrow: "On the contrary, my father always believed you had potential, even if, at times, you ceased to use it." Sara narrowed her eyes and gave him a crossed look. "His words entirely, not mine."

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	6. Old Friends

**Good Afternoon. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who reviewed this story. Thank you so much Sehlatkitten, Drusilla Maxima, Mich, Mcaarpr2, Rishooter, Artanaro, 09sasha, and einzel. I apologize for the long wait. School has been incredibly busy. I hope you all enjoy.**

Despite previous misgivings, Doctor Archer continued to mitigate turmoil. Jonathan had once again neglected to answer her questions and, inadvertently, had kept her out of the loop. Sara was absolutely confounded. Who was this Commander Shran ? And what did he want with the other _Enterprise_ crew ? No one, not even her own cousin would fill her in on the missing details. "Is he some sort of ruthless psychopath?" She thought to herself in horror. Perplexity filled her. The only thing she was dead certain of was that her son and granddaughter - whom she had yet to meet - had been take hostage by a group of malicious Klingon mercenaries at the expence of this blue balloon. And even at that, based off how crazy the situation was, Sara considered there was the remote possibility she may be loosing it.

And to add insult to injure, things on _Enterprise_ were only further continued to spiral into turmoil. According to locker room gossip, her _alternate, futuristic husband_ was being a _conceited dush bag_. Commander Tucker had been all too eager to inform her of this development. To a certain extent this drove her nuts. Soval was not her responsibility. However, after the shocking revelation of their involvement in this alternate universe, she had now been labelled the low key Vulcan _whore_ by her fellow crew mates and his unofficial caregiver. Her only consolation was that no one, with the notable exception of Doctor Phlox, knew of her children's birth dates.

If her pregnancy was revealed prior to her honorable release from _Enterprise_ in four months, things could become incredibly problematic. Anyone discovering her pregnancy would be political suicide. Star Fleet was a military vessel. Never before had any known officer on starship duty been found pregnant. She would have to be relieved of duty if the pregnancy was discovered - honorably at least. But this was not the only problem. Eventually, Sara would have to resign, and she was bound by contract to finish her service. If she broke her contract, she would need a legitimate reason why, or she would face time in prison. This mean't she would have to prove her pregnancy, which would essentially would reveal the fact she was carrying a Vulcan's children.

Fear coursed through her veins. Star Fleet and the High Command were both ruthless. Once the heritage of her children were confirmed, both bodies would want answers. Star Fleet was strict about social interactions between humans and vulcans - mainly not to offend the High Command. The High Command clearly didn't want their diplomatic officers on the ground _screwing_ with natives. In addition, Sara knew through working with Strom and Oratt that the High Command kept DNA records on every vulcan, especially those who had lived abroad. It wouldn't be hard to determine who was the father. If Phlox could do it in a matter of minutes, so could the High Command.

Sara proceeded forward - regardless of her compiling stress. Rumors were spreading too fast for her liking. Who had gotten with whom had became the most discussed topic on the ship. And if it wasn't for the fact that _Enterprise_ had been attacked hours prior, everyone would be fully consumed with the idea of their _would be, could be_ future mates.

Trip had given her one simple order earlier. " Just give the Ambassador this pad," He had said in his slow, under demanding Southern accent. "Besides, it's not like he bites." Sara had just starred at him blankly. He did, truly, in the bedroom. She wanted to retort sarcastically. However, Sara held her tongue for she thought best to keep that little fact to herself.

She had tried everywhere: the bridge, his quarters, and the usual. Eventually Sara was forced to consult with Ensign Sato on the bridge. People looked at her funny when she requested his name over intercom. _'He's the Ambassador,'_ She wanted to mouth at all of them. _'We had sex. So did all you. Get over it.'_ And she left the bridge, eyes following her as if she had grown a second head.

Soval, _her uncourteous lover,_ was apparently dining in the mess hall. A cluster of Vulcan life signs detected by the ship's scanner had revealed this dull fact. Vulcans needed to eat. 'A simple deduction,' she told herself. This made the most logical sense. Sara was walking down the vessel's halls when she came to complete stop. 'Logical,' she mused. _Great, now I sound like my kids._

…

Her journey to the inevitable was rather uneventful. She entered the mess hall without delay, much to her satisfaction. Sara took a moment to scan the room. In the corner, the ambassador and a few of his vulcan colleagues were consuming some form of ethnic broth. _Plomeek_. 'Most likely,' She told herself as she walked farther to her _so-called spouse_.

The Ambassador was surrounded by a handful of informants, all varying in age. Some she recognized, others she could not recall. T'Neil, a middle age vulcan woman, was the personal assistant of the ambassador. She sat compliantly next to her superior. Sara couldn't help but give a slight smirk. As a young girl, she had personally envied this older woman. The two seemed practically inseparable. T'Neil never left his side. She had envisioned her as his lover, a rival. T'Neil was a remarkably beautiful Vulcan woman. And in some regard, it was quite a surprise Soval had never taken to her.

On the other side, her son, Sovalson, was positioned next to his father. Sara offered him a light smile. Her son, in contrast to Jonathan, had been brave enough to speak to her of their rescue mission on _Osirius_. Apparently, despite the immense arguing on the bridge, a valid compromise had _actually_ been made. Two squads would be utilized: One from Enterprise and the other from E2.

After much debate, Soval had volunteered himself and a _small_ segment of his security squad to escort the group. According to Trip, after Sovalson returned to the bridge, he had insisted that his father's presence was unnecessarily on such an expedition. Lorian had heartily agreed, claiming that, " They couldn't risk violating his safety." Soval was apparently unimpressed, and argued his presence was most logical for he was the only one who could speak Klingon fluently.

Hoshi would have most likely interrupted his assertion had she not been terrified of him. T'Hona just rolled her eyes. Apparently, her father's snarky behavior was no mystery to her. However, according to Trip, Sovalson and Lorian looked legitimately concerned, almost as if there was something they had purposely left out of the briefing.

Sara approached the table, now with a rather wide grin, purposely attempting to demonstrate her humanity. "Ambassador," She spoke in a sophisticated, snotty accent. Soval turned his head slowly away from his colleagues, almost guarding himself. "Doctor Archer," He nodded his head, an action which she reciprocated.

"Commander Tucker wanted me to give you this," She extended her pad across the table. For a moment, Soval watched the device with some suspicion. Sara had to resist a chuckle. A childhood memory flashed before her eyes. When she was nine years old, she had given him a pad with small, concealed shock device. Sara could still remember his emotional relapse that revealed a shocked, irritated look on his face. She treasured that memory immensely.

To her surprise, the voice of a certain doctor rung in her ears. " I believe the pad is without risk, Osu." The man stated with a certain amount of confidence. Sara's eyes brightened. "Strom." A smile filled her face. The doctor offered her the closes thing to a Vulcan smile. "It has been too long, Miss. Archer."  
Sara would have given him a hug then and there. However, they were in public. Other Vulcans were watching, specifically Soval, and she didn't want that. She watched Soval momentarily tense and then reach for the pad. His fingers accidentally brushed hers in the process, sending an erotic zap of electricity down her spine.

Sara jolted, blushed, and then turned her head. She could hardly process the intense feeling. Out of the corner of her eye, Soval twitched and straighten his back. A slight green flush grazed his cheeks, but it disappeared as fast as it came. Strom narrowed his eyes momentarily, but said nothing. The young female doctor was momentarily out of breath and was completely speechless. Confoundment filled her. What had just happened ? She wondered as she attempted to retract from the vulcan dignitaries.

Whether it was by the grace of a higher power or purely coincidence, her daughter T'Hona appeared spontaneously at her side. "Mother," T'Hona bowed her head in respect. Sara's eyes slightly widened, almost if to subconsciously ask: 'How long have you been standing there?' T'Hana turned her head," _Samek_ , I trust you are preforming at an optimal rate ?" Sara looked between her daughter and Soval. Then at Sovalson who bared a smirk. That legit just sounded like the most Vulcan thing she had ever heard.

Soval was quiet momentarily. Six of his vulcans colleagues were observing the interaction, as if waiting for him to confirm or deny the current scandal. Strom particularly looked interested. And Sara narrowed her eyes. If he denied their daughter, she was never speaking to him again.

After a long silence, Soval responded in a low voice. " I am performing satisfactorily." That was it. No further acknowledgement. T'Hona nodded her head at his response. Strom took a moment to shift and then interrupted the awkward tension. "At what time will the rescue mission specifically be launched ?"

T'Hona immediately turned placid. She moved her body, like a plank, to an awkward position. This doctor sat behind her father and her brother. The woman then turned red, as if something out of the blue had struck her. She closed her mouth temporarily, and then, to the best of her ability, began to speak."We will be departing for the emergency rescue mission in 1 hour and 54 minutes."

Strom starred at her blankly. Even though Sara could tell he was somewhat perplexed by her daughter's odd behavior, he proceeded, out of respect, to nod his head and replied: " I give you great thanks, _T'Sai."_ T'Hona turned red and nervously spoke, "Yah, sure. Anytime." Sara shifted her eyes back and fourth between T'Hona and Strom. Her unmethodical response was rather … unconventional … for her at least. Sara then looked at Sovalson, who had his arms crossed in a defensive manner and looked less than amused. Nobody spoke for a long while. Even the Ambassador's associates refrained from making any further comment.

…

Approximately 1 hour and 54 minutes later, the group rendez-vous at the launch bay hanger. Members of the second Enterprise had returned to their vessel. Now, a combined fleet of Vulcans and Humans entered the shuttle pods. Sara watched as her cousin directed several members of his crew.

Soval and his personal body guards accompanied the group shorty afterword. The ambassador, from Sara's point-of-view, looked less than pleased to be in this particular situation. He held a staunch, emotionless demeanor. The young doctor was unable to read the man. From a certain extent, Sara could emphasize with Soval's current position. He was the head representative from Vulcan to Earth, and the previously revealed _revelation_ had placed him in a compromising position.

Sara just shook her head at his state. If he though this was currently bad, then he had yet to discover that it was only going to get worse. She placed her dominant hand on her abdomen and shook her head. Soval had no clue what he was getting himself into.

The group boarded the vessel momentarily without complain. Jonathan occupied the pilot seat, and Malcolm had called shot gun. Soval and his associates sat directly behind the Captain. She, Hoshi, and Strom were placed in the back.

Malcolm swiftly punched in the coordinates for their desired destination. At first, there was no speaking - only the occasional murmur between Jonathan and his fellow subordinate. Soval was attempting to mediate, despite his current location. Although Johnthan would have preferred to have kicked the ambassador out the shuttle pod door while he was distracted, he exercised respect and left him alone.

Sovalson, T'Hona, Lorian, and Karen had agreed to meet them at the surface. They had devised a plan: to distract the Klingons long enough for the member of the other _Enterprise_ to retrieve their crew. Sara and Strom were both accompanying to attend to the immediate wounds of the prisoners.

Sara bit her lip. She desperately prayed everyone would be alright. She currently had a son, a daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter under the hostage of evil alien mercenaries. Such an idea made her absolutely sick.

Strom briefly patted her shoulder. " You are in distress." It was more of a statement than a question. Sara shrugged her shoulders. "I am worried about the children." Strom narrowed his eyes. "Yes, that is a logical reason. However, I sense something else is affecting you." For a moment Sara didn't speak. She only looked at the back of Soval. Strom's eye's followed hers. He then raised an eyebrow. "It's nothing."

"The ambassador cares for you." His wrote down on a pad, in order to avoid the other crew members obtaining pieces of their conversation. Sara looked down and gave him a look of confusion. He wrote again. "He asked me and Oratt about you every week for two months." A blush crossed Sara's face. Strom then went on. "Whatever hardship you have found yourself in, I believe the Ambassador will be receptive to helping you."

"Now, I ask you again. Is there something you wish to tell me." He then looked down at her abdomen. Sara turned placid. "How do you know ?" She wrote. Strom raised an eyebrow and wrote back. " I didn't. You have merrily confirmed my suspicions."

 **TBC ...**


	7. Into Darkness

The shuttle pods landed without inconvenience. The captain and his subordinate, Malcolm Reed, were the first to exit the vessel. When the officers stepped outside, they immediately noticed they were in the middle of a rocky wasteland. Captain Archer squinted his eyes to get a better view of his surroundings. Fog appeared to be creeping over rocks in the distance. It clogged his vision to a certain extent, making it nearly impossible to see anything past a few hundred feet in the horizontal direction.

The ambassador and his guards were next to step out of the shuttle pod. Soval's nose immediately began flare as he let in and out a long series of breaths. Captain Archer eyed the older, Vulcan man. "Something the matter, Ambassador?" Soval was quiet before he spoke. "I smell death." The remains of a rotting corpse filled his nose. The ambassador turned from side to another to take in his dystopian like surrounding before, slowly, looking up. His face fell before he pointed above him. "There!" His voice was barely audible.

Strom and Sara were exiting the vehicle when they saw their colleagues looking upward with absolute horror. Sara moved and caught a glimpse of what they were starring at her. Her mouth fell open. The bodies of three hominoids were hung from a cliff. Sara immediately looked away from the demonic sight. No matter how hard she tried, however, she could not remove the image from her mind. Two men and one woman – nude, beaten, and possibly raped – had been murdered. Her stomach twisted and turned, and she felt the spontaneous urge to vomit.

The wind roared, causing a chill to go down her spine. Soval turned around and grasped Sara by the arm. This caused her to revert back to consciousness. Just then, the shuttle pod from the other _Enterprise_ arrived. The vessel landed, and then shook – something that would have concerned most viewers had they not been consumed with the previous sight.

T'Hona and Sovalson stepped out of the pod, and Lorian and Karen quickly followed. The group moved to meet their associates, but Soval stepped forward. T'Hona greeted her father with a smile but frowned when she saw his distressed face. "What's the matter, _Samek?"_ Soval starred intensely at his daughter and then slightly glanced behind her to take in the gruesome sight. T'Hona began to turn her head.

"Don't!" He cried, a slight amount of emotion slipping into his voice. T'Hona looked shaken. "What?" Soval shook his head. He raised his hands above him as a sign of peace. "Don't look behind you!" While T'Hona at first obeyed her father's command, Karen didn't. She turned around and let out a deep, piercing scream. Lorian and Sovalson paled. Eventually, even T'Hona was forced to turn around. "Oh, my God." She fell to her knees. Strom came forward. "Do you know these people?" Lorian was spellbound. He could hardly bring myself to speak. "Yes, they are members of my crew."

…

The group's journey was temporarily postponed. After minutes of remaining flabbergasted, Lorian had climbed to the top of the small but rugged cliff and helped cut down the bodies. T'Hona, Sara, and Hoshi laid down emergency medical mats from the pods as the men caught and carried the remains.

After having them carried to the shuttle pods, Strom and Sara briefly examined the corpses. There was not enough time to perform a thorough autopsy. Nevertheless, there was clearly no denying that these deaths had been brought on by strangulation.

T'Hana and Karen were filled with tears. She watched as Lorain attempted to console them. Sara could not help but wonder what relation these men and woman bared to that of her family. It was odd; she could have known these people in another life. These could have been her friend's children. But here, in this current place in the universe, she felt rather unsure.

She watched Sovalson as he twisted and turned with his scanner. While his emotions were thoroughly contained on the surface, signs of concealed anger lurked in the very presence of his form. He was running his hands in hair. Sara could see sweat dripping off his forehead and the blood of the deceased on his hands. "Sovalson," She called to the man and walked quickly to him. "What are you doing?"

He paid her little attention. "Sovalson," She raised her voice, placing her hand on his shoulder to obtain his attention. He flashed his head upward with discreet anger. " I am scanning for Andorian bio signs." He chided with disgust. His arms were extended outward as he shook his head. The possibility that the man may do something reckless or impulsive crossed Sara's mind before Sovalson ceased his abhorrent behavior with a sigh." This is all my fault."

Sara narrowed her eyes. "Don't say that." She cried, grasping her son even harder. "You couldn't have predicted this, especially no more than anyone else on either _Enterprise_." Sovalson shook his head. "There are matters at stake, here, that you do not understand."

Sara rolled her eyes. " I may not be very old – especially like your father. However, I am wise enough to acknowledge that while things in the world may gradually change, in essence, a sense of continuity always remains." Sovalson looked down towards his scanner. " A very profound statement mother, but we are not dealing with matters regarding the _world,_ as you make call it. We are dealing with something greater, the perils of the universe."

She then grasped the bottom of Sovalson's face. " I was speaking in theoretical context. Grief is a universal feeling." He gave his mother a side-glance. " I am half Vulcan. And I do not allow the presence of grief to consume me, unlike my human peers."

Sara shook her head. "What you say is false! You are human as well." She took a breath and then whispered. "You came from my womb. I made you. I _created_ you." She stressed, "and I brought you into this world." Sovalson raised an eyebrow. "You have done nothing of the sort. While you are my mother biologically, you have yet to undergo the full process behind motherhood. Besides." He then ran his hands through his hair. " I am nearly twice your current age. If _anyone_ should be giving advice, it should be … "

"It should be I." Ambassador Soval spat. Sovalson and Sara jerked around to confronted with their father and _futuristic_ spouse. " When do you plan to proceed forward my son? If we stay here, we leave ourselves open to vulnerability and potential exposure." Sovalson didn't say anything at first for he was consumed with the prior discussion involving his mother.

Soval closed his eyes and motioned for his heir to follow him. He and Sovalson moved away from the group to a considerable distance, leaving Sara to reflect upon her thoughts. When they were at last out of hearing's way, Soval spoke. " The men and the woman, what relation do they bare to you?"

"The elder man was my school teacher, and the younger one was a school mate."

"And what of the woman?" Soval inquired.

Sovalson was silent for a long moment. "She was my friend, my childhood playmate to be exact."

Soval nodded his head in clarification. "I grieve with thee."

" I thank thee." The younger man said rather bluntly. There was another long silence before Soval spoke again. "We must leave this area. As I stated previously before, the place is unfortunately easily exposed to invaders. " His son nodded his head. "Besides," Soval stepped forward to whisper into his son's ear. " I would hardly regard this environment as suitable for your mother _or_ your sister." His voice possessed great disappointment. Sovalson involuntarily nodded his head.

"Neither for my daughter nor my mate." Sovalson placed his hands across his chest. He was in full compliance with his father. The ambassador nodded his head. "Perhaps we should return to the group and proceed in our rescue mission." His son bit his bottom lip. "Agreed."

…

The group had too come to a diplomatic agreement. They couldn't afford to stay in the same area – especially after what had previously happened. Sovalson presented the schematics. Their remaining crew – if they were even still alive – would be nearly a mile up north. After an immense heated debate among varying crew members, predominately Soval and Captain Archer, the group had agreed to proceed forward.

And so a long trek began. It was a rough, rocky terrain. Jagged shards of stone stuck out of the ground. Fog corrupted the crew's vision in every direction.

Sara licked her lips. The presence of a sour-salty substance could be found dormant on them. She attempted to maintain a concise train of thought. Unfortunately, the environment was creating a fair amount of inner turmoil. She felt ill. Her head was throbbing, and her stomach was queasy.

The young doctor took a deep breath. She needed to sit down, only for a moment. She told herself, and then she would be fine. Sara stumbled and, inadvertently, lost her footing. She closed her eyes and momentarily expected to feel adverse pain, but, to her surprise, a large set of arms caught her. Sara was quiet. Warmth surrounded her body. And when she brought herself to open her eyes, she looked up to find the very Vulcan Ambassador.

Sara attempted to stand up. " I am sorry." She said apologetically as she brushed off her clothes. "I don't know what came over me." Soval raised an eyebrow. "It is very fortunate that I was there to catch you." He said bluntly. Sara blushed and gave out an awkward chuckle. " You always seem to be there when I need you most." She then thought back to the romantic evening they both spent together at the lake. How she had fallen off the stool, and he had saved her from her own stupidity.

"Yes, you are notorious for loosing your footing." He whispered in her ear. Sara rolled her eyes. "I almost suspect you preform such feats to gain my attention." She rolled her eyes. "Hardly." The young woman then attempted to stand up straight, right before falling backwards into Soval's arms again. Accidentally, his nose grazed the back of her neck, causing Sara to involuntarily shiver. While the strange occurrence took place over a matter of seconds, the inner turmoil that fulfilled her made it feel like hours. Unlike Soval's normal, respectable self, he lingered in her personal space longer than appropriate. Sara's hearing was not as superior as a Vulcan's, but she could fully hear the slight sniffing from behind her.

A sense of newfound curiosity and allure filled her. Her left hand grabbed his arm out of instinct, which was not entirely her own. It was almost _primal_. Sara would have stayed in this position had Jonathan not turned around. "Is everyone ok?" Her cousin said with some alarm. Her heart jolted with adrenaline, and she promptly shook her head. "Yes, Jonathan. Just missed a few steps." Her cousin narrowed his eyes and merrily nodded his head. Sara pushed herself off Soval for she didn't need his pity.

The group stumbled up a gradual increase, carefully trying not to loose their footing after Sara's incident. Malcolm and the Vulcan security guards walked ahead of their superiors, attempting to clear the way. And so the journey continued, up the long range and over the mountain. The group continued to trod quickly and carefully.

After a half hour, only remnants of the sun could be seen. A cursing chill replaced the warm, humid environment. Fear became to lurk. Every random sound, every unknown motion, caused a trigger in the group. It was only once they made it to the peak that Malcolm and his guards saw the hints of camping sight.

The security officer motioned for his peers behind him to be quiet. Gradually, the captain approached from behind. Sovalson followed and waved his scanner. "There are twenty Klingons. " He said quietly. Captain Archer squinted his eyes. "And at least two Andorians." He motioned to a woman and her child in the distance. Sovalson looked over and narrowed his eyes. "The woman and child remain unharmed." He then looked over to the captain. "Kill the Klingons." Sovalson ordered.

Captain Archer now looked concern. "That goes against Star Fleet protocol." Sovalson gave him a grimace. "We are not Star Fleet, Captain." Jonathan shook his head. "But we are."

Soval stood behind them, surveying the situation. "In order to avoid major conflict, it would be logical to take the Andorian female and her child hostage to use them as a bargaining chip with Shran. Clearly they bear some social relation to him."

"No," Sovalson spat at his father, louder than necessary. Malcolm's eyes widened. "Get down." He hissed and pulled Sovalson by his robes to the floor. The Klingon soldiers in the distance had turned around to the strange sound.

"You _Nirak._ " Soval insulted his son. Just when they were about to get up, blaster firing could be heard in the distance. There was a long silence. No one moved a muscle. Then, a loud set laughs filled the air. Hoshi crawled to the front, along with Sara. She listened to their vernacular.

She then looked at her captain. "They think it was an animal." Sara was out of breath. "What are we going to do?" Sovalson pulled out his blaster. "What do you think?" No one said a word after that.

...

 **Hey, sorry I have been late. I have had a lot of things to do. I hope you enjoy. It is important that every story has an antagonist, and, sometimes, it is not who we first suspect. But then again, human (aliens as well) are all very complex. Please remember to review. I am interested to now what you think of this development. Please expect an update soon.**


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